Fine analysis of a genomic region involved in resistance to Mediterranean corn borer

Abstract

Sesamia nonagrioides Lefebvere (Mediterranean corn borer, MCB) is the main pest of maize in the Mediterranean area. QTL for MCB stalk tunneling and grain yield under high MCB infestation had been located at bin 8.03–8.05 (4–21 cM and 10–30 cM respectively) in a previous analysis of the EP42 x EP39 RILs mapping population. The objective of the present work was to study with higher resolution those QTL, and validating and estimating with higher precision their locations and effects. To achieve this objective, we developed a set of 38 heterogeneous inbred families (HIFs) which were near-homozygous in the genome, except in the region under study. The HIFs were evaluated in multiple environments under artificial infestation with MCB and genotyped with SNPs.