QTL mapping of almond kernel quality traits in the F1 progeny of ‘Marcona’ × ‘Marinada’

Almond breeding is increasingly focusing on kernel quality. However, unlike other agronomic traits, the genetic basis of physical and chemical kernel quality traits has been poorly investigated. To address this gap, we conducted a QTL mapping of these traits to enhance our understanding of their genetic control. We phenotyped fruit samples from an F1 population derived from the cross between ‘Marcona’ and ‘Marinada’ for up to four years, using conventional and image analysis methods. Additionally, the 91 individuals of the population were genotyped with the almond Axiom™ 60K SNP array, and high-density linkage maps were constructed. These analyses identified several genomic regions of breeding interest. For example, two regions on chromosome one were found to contain QTLs for kernel shape and dimension, while another region at the end of the same chromosome contained QTLs for kernel fatty acid composition. Notably, QTLs for kernel symmetry and kernel shoulder, reported for the first time in this study, were also mapped on chromosome one. These QTLs will serve as a foundation for developing molecular markers linked to kernel physical and chemical quality traits in almonds, facilitating the integration of marker-assisted selection into breeding programs.

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. We acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the Estate Agency of Research: Project PID2020-118612RR-I00 (Better Almonds) funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/and PID2022-140362ORI00 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF/EU”. Authors FP, IE, IB are grateful to CERCA Program from Generalitat of Catalonia for its support. FP. wishes to acknowledge the receipt of a FPI doctoral fellowship (PRE2018- 086724) funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ESF Investing in your future”. LL has been funded by “Ministerio de Universidades” and the European-Union Next Generation EU within the frame of Grants for the Requalification of the Spanish University System, modality ‘Margarita Salas’.

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