Molecular Mapping Of Genes And Qtl: Progress To Date And Development Of New Population Resources For Ngs Genetics

Ability to conduct molecular analyses in Allium species was previously limited by the power of available technologies to sample very large heterozygous genomes in a cost-effective manner. The emergence of third-generation long-read sequencing technologies, coupled with maturing strategies for population genomics in non-model systems provides exciting opportunities for Allium crops. Now that these technical advances have removedmajor barriers to progress, it is necessary to consider the horticultural resources to which we can apply such technologies. This will hasten delivery of genetics tools that will ultimately benefit breeders, farmers, and consumers of Allium vegetables. Here, we describe progress to date in Allium mapping, with an emphasis on onion, and reviewapproaches used on other non-model systems that could be applied. We also present strategies we have developed over the past decade to establish genetic stocks for onion suited to modern population genomics analyses.