Marker-assisted selection: an approach for precision plant breeding in the twenty-first century

摘要

DNA markers have enormous potential to improve the efficiency and precision of conventional plantrnbreeding via marker-assisted selection (MAS). The large number of quantitative trait loci (QTLs)rnmapping studies for diverse crops species have provided an abundance of DNA marker–traitrnassociations. In this review, we present an overview of the advantages of MAS and its most widely usedrnapplications in plant breeding, providing examples from cereal crops. We also consider reasons whyrnMAS has had only a small impact on plant breeding so far and suggest ways in which the potential ofrnMAS can be realized. Finally, we discuss reasons why the greater adoption of MAS in the future isrninevitable, although the extent of its use will depend on available resources, especially for orphan crops,rnand may be delayed in less-developed countries. Achieving a substantial impact on crop improvementrnby MAS represents the great challenge for agricultural scientists in the next few decades.