Investigation of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.) resistance in almond rootstocks with DNA markers

Seven almond varieties, Ferragnes, Nemaguard, AB3 (Amygdalus orientalis Mill.), GN22, GF677, Myrobalan (Prunus cerasifera), and Pissardi nigra, and F-1 crossbreed almonds, Ferragnes x Pissardi nigra, Ferragnes x Myrobalan, Ferragnes x GN22, Nemaguard x GF677, Myrobalan x AB3 (Prunus dulcis Mill.), Myrobalan x Ferragnes, Pissardi nigra x AB3, and GF677 x Myrobalan, were used to determine resistance against root-knot nematode (RKN) (Meloidogyne spp.) using DNA markers. Parental lines and 316 F-1 plants were tested with SSR (plgms8, plgms9, and plgms19) and STS (STS-OPS14a, STS-834b) markers. It was found that plgms19 exhibited 76%, 77.01%, 73.13%, and 86.6% inheritance of resistance in the Ferragnes x Pissardi nigra, Ferragnes x Myrobalan, Ferragnes x GN22, and Nemaguard x GF677 F-1 populations, respectively. No resistance was detected in the Nemaguard x GF677 population with the plgms8 marker. Since the plgms19 and STS-834b primers were found to be effective at high ratios in determining resistance to RKN in the Nemaguard x GF677 F-1 population, the use of these markers could be included in breeding studies. It was also detected that the STS-OPS14a primer is appropriate to use for determining the sensitivity to RKN in almond rootstocks.