Recent progress in DNA marker-assisted selection for vegetable breeding in Japan

The development of new cultivars exhibiting high levels of disease resistance and superior quality is critical for vegetable production. Recent advances in genomics and DNA sequencing technologies have facilitated the identification of sequence variants associated with specific phenotypes. This has enabled the development of novel and improved DNA markers for integration into marker-assisted selection (MAS). The application of MAS has significantly enhanced the efficiency of stacking loci responsible for disease resistance and quality characteristics. This paper provides an overview of recent research findings related to DNA markers and their applications in breeding in Japan, focusing primarily on vegetables from Brassicaceae, Solanaceae, Cucurbitaceae, and Allium, as well as strawberries.