Quantitative Trait Analysis Shows the Potential for Alleles from the Wild Species <i>Arachis batizocoi</i> and <i>A. duranensis</i> to Improve Groundnut Disease Resistance and Yield in East Africa
Danielle A. Essandoh,
Thomas Odong,
David K. Okello,
Daniel Fonceka,
Joël Nguepjop,
Aissatou Sambou,
Carolina Ballén-Taborda,
Carolina Chavarro,
David J. Bertioli,
Soraya C. M. Leal-Bertioli
Affiliations
Danielle A. Essandoh
Department of Agricultural Production, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7062, Uganda
Thomas Odong
Department of Agricultural Production, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7062, Uganda
David K. Okello
National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI), Serere 806, Uganda
Daniel Fonceka
CIRAD, UMR AGAP, Thiès BP 3320, Senegal
Joël Nguepjop
CIRAD, UMR AGAP, Thiès BP 3320, Senegal
Aissatou Sambou
Centre d’Etude Régional pour l’Amélioration de l’Adaptation à la Sécheresse (CERAAS), Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles (ISRA), Route de Khombole, Thiès BP 3320, Senegal
Carolina Ballén-Taborda
Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, 111 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA
Carolina Chavarro
Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, 111 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA
David J. Bertioli
Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, 111 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA
Soraya C. M. Leal-Bertioli
Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, 111 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA
Diseases are the most important factors reducing groundnut yields worldwide. In East Africa, late leaf spot (LLS) and groundnut rosette disease (GRD) are the most destructive diseases of groundnut. Limited resistance is available in pure pedigree cultivated groundnut lines and novel sources of resistance are required to produce resistant new varieties. In this work, 376 interspecific lines from 3 different populations derived from crosses with the wild species A. duranensis, A. ipaënsis, A. batizocoi and A. valida were phenotyped for 2 seasons and across 2 locations, Serere and Nakabango, in Uganda. Several genotypes showed a higher yield, a larger seed, an earlier flowering, and similar resistance to the local cultivar checks. Genotypic data was used to construct a linkage map for the AB-QTL population involving the cross between Fleur11 and [A. batizocoi x A. duranensis]4x. This linkage map, together with the phenotypic data was used to identify quantitative trait loci controlling disease resistance. These lines will be useful in combining good agronomic traits and stacking disease resistance to improve the groundnut crop in sub-Saharan Africa.
