LAUSR

Abstract Bacterial wilt (BW) (Caused by Ralstonia solanacearum) is the most devastative soil-borne disease in eggplant, causing sudden wilting of the plants before flowering, followed by yellowing of leaves and stunted growth. The molecular marker linked to BW resistance loci will help in the selection and development of elite eggplant resistant cultivars. Bulked segregant analysis (BSA) was performed in two segregating F2 populations with BW resistance. These populations were derived from the cross between resistant cultivars CARI–1 and IIHR–7 and susceptible cultivars Rampur Local and Arka Kushmakar (IIHR–108). The present inheritance studies indicated that the eggplant BW resistance is governed by single dominant gene. A total of 390 single sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used in the survey of parental polymorphism, and 42 SSRs were found to be polymorphic. The SSR markers, emb01D10, emh11I06, emh02E08, and SSR–46 co–segregate with resistant and susceptible genotypes of the two F2 populations and linked to BW resistance loci. These four SSR markers are followed mendelian genetics for subsequent generations. In addition, they are useful in marker-assisted selection and eggplant breeding effectively. This is the first report describing the association of SSR markers with BW resistance loci in eggplant.