Abstract
Background: Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is a vegetable widely cultivated in China. Many new-type broccoli cultivars were bred and developed by Chinese breeders during the recent three decades. However, the broccoli cultivar nomenclature and detailed information of genetic relationships among broccoli germplasms are unclear. Results: The present study identified millions of SNPs by next-generation sequencing of 23 representative broccoli lines. Through several steps of selection, 100 SNPs were successfully converted into KASP markers, and used to evaluate the genetic diversity, genetic relationship, and population structure of 392 broccoli accessions, which represent the mainly broccoli breeding materials in China. The initial, introduced and improved accessions were well clustered, though some accessions were overlapped between groups, probably reflecting the fact that breeding activities led to genetic similarities. To make the KASP genotyping more efficient and cost-effective, 25 of the 100 KASPs were selected for fingerprinting of all accessions, and the 2D barcode contained fingerprinting information were generated for elite varieties. Conclusion: The KASP markers developed in this study provided an efficient way for germplasm characterization, DNA fingerprinting, seed purity identification, and marker-assisted selection of broccoli in China.
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