Plant Gene and Trait 2024, Vol.15, No.1, 33-43 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/pgt 33 Research Article Open Access Marker-Assisted Selection in Cassava: From Theory to Practice Wenzhong Huang , Zhongmei Hong CRO Service Station, Sanya Tihitar SciTech Breeding Service Inc., Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China Corresponding email: hitar@hitar.org Plant Gene and Trait, 2024, Vol.15, No.1 doi: 10.5376/pgt.2024.15.0005 Received: 06 Jan., 2024 Accepted: 08 Feb., 2024 Published: 25 Feb., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Huang and Hong, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Huang W.Z., and Hong Z.M., 2024, Marker-assisted selection in cassava: from theory to practice, Plant Gene and Trait, 15(1): 33-43 (doi: 10.5376/pgt.2024.15.0005) Abstract Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important food crop in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, with high starch content and significant industrial application value. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) is an important technology in plant breeding, especially in cassava improvement, showing great potential for application. Mas provides an efficient genetic improvement method for cassava breeding, which can accelerate the improvement process of traits, especially in key agronomic traits such as starch content and disease resistance. This study systematically reviews the relevant theories of MAS, discusses the discovery of cassava genetic markers, and highlights the role of MAS in improving the efficiency and accuracy of selection, especially in accelerating the development of new cassava varieties through case studies. Despite the technical and resource challenges, the application prospect of MAS technology in cassava breeding remains optimistic. This study aims to provide in-depth scientific reference and practical guidance for cassava breeders and researchers worldwide, and to provide directions for future research. Keywords Cassava; Marker-assisted selection; Starch synthesis; Quantitative trait loci; Gene editing 1 Introduction Cassava (Manihot esculentaCrantz) is a staple food crop that plays a key role in global food security, especially in tropical and subtropical regions, where it is the main energy source for millions of people and has important industrial applications. Despite its importance, cassava has historically received less research investment attention than other crops. Traditional breeding has made progress in enhancing cassava's tolerance to biological and abiotic stresses, increasing productivity in terms of fresh root and dry matter content, and improving quality traits such as starch quality and carotenoid content (Ceballos et al., 2012). Marker assisted selection (MAS) is a modern breeding technique that uses molecular markers to select desirable traits in plants, thereby speeding up the breeding process. MAS has been successfully applied to many crops to improve yield, disease resistance and quality traits. In cassava, the application of MAS is still in its infancy, but holds great promise for genetic improvement of crops. The development of double haploid production protocols in cassava is an example of increasing the efficiency of genetic improvement through MAS (Ceballos et al., 2012). The theory behind MAS is based on identifying genetic markers associated with specific traits. These markers can be used to screen breeding populations and select individuals with desired traits even before they manifest. This approach is particularly beneficial in cassava, where high heterogogginess, irregular flowering and poor seed setting present challenges to conventional breeding, and biotechnology tools, including genetic engineering and MAS, have the potential to overcome these challenges and drive cassava improvement (Petersen et al., 2005). However, the practical application of MAS in cassava faces several bottlenecks, including the need for efficient and reliable phenotypic analysis, the availability of genotyping methods, and the integration of MAS with traditional breeding programs. The completion of cassava genome sequence provides a valuable resource for identifying markers associated with key traits and is expected to enhance the impact of MAS on cassava breeding (Ceballos et al., 2012).
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