MARKER ASSISTED SELECTION AS A TOOL FOR DETECTION OF BRASSICA NAPUS PLANTS CARRYING SELF-INCOMPATIBILITY ALLELES, IN HYBRID BREEDING PROGRAMS

Self-incompatibility (SI) is one of the most important pollination systems for hybrid seed production in Brassica napus. In this study we performed molecular analysis of the S locus related genes to understand function of the male and female S determinants of SI plants. Specific molecular markers were used for detection of SC/SI plants in current breeding program. We studied three genes for their structure, function, role in SI reaction and dominance relationships, having effect on self-incompatibility expression in plant phenotype with the aim to find effective molecular markers for selection of SI plants to accelerate hybrid breeding process. Molecular markers based on analysis of SLG I, II, SCR I and SRK I can be successfully used for selection of SI plants and undesirable SC plants are eliminated at early ontogenetic stage from breeding population. Additionally comparative analysis of all of these molecular markers for individual genes can achieve successful selection of functional carriers of recessive S alleles during breeding programmes.