Fine mapping of the gene Rvi18 (V25) for broad-spectrum resistance to apple scab, and development of a linked SSR marker suitable for marker-assisted breeding

Apple scab, caused by the fungal pathogen Venturia inaequalis, is one of the most devastating diseases for the apple growing industry in temperate zones with humid springs and summers. Breeding programs around the world have identified several sources of resistance, of which the Rvi6 (Vf) gene from Malus floribunda 821 has been the most widely used. The appearance of Rvi6-virulent strains of V. inaequalis in several European countries have underlined the necessity of pyramiding different effective resistance genes for durably resistant cultivars. Here we report the mapping of the new apple scab resistance gene Rvi18 (V25) from the selection 1980-015-025 of the apple breeding program at Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands. This gene was fine mapped on the proximal part of LG11 to a region of 34 Kb in the apple genome sequence of ‘Golden Delicious’, using 894 progeny plants, and SSR, DArT, AFLP, and SNP markers. One gene on the ‘Golden Delicious’ reference genome was identified as the potential susceptibility allele of the resistance gene. Moreover, an SSR marker has been developed of which one of its amplicons sizes is highly specific for Rvi18, thus facilitating the directed pyramiding of resistance genes through marker assisted breeding.