Development and application of KASP marker for high throughput detection of the seedless trait in grapevine

Molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS) can significantly accelerate and improve the efficiency of the breeding process in seedless grape cultivars. In this study, we developed the KASP_VviAGL11 and VviAGL11_410 markers based on a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) site (Chr18: 26889437 (A/C)) of the VviAGL11 gene, and compared them with previously reported SSR markers p3_VvAGL11 and 5U_VviAGL11 by testing 101 cultivars and 81 F1 hybrid progenies. The results showed that both of the proposed markers obtained 100% accuracy rates in detecting allele A, which was closely associated with the seedless trait in grapes, while p3_VvAGL11 and 5U_VviAGL11 had lower accuracy rates due to their tendency to produce false positives. After careful evaluation of the technical advantages and disadvantages associated with these markers, we concluded that KASP_VviAGL11 was superior in terms of simplicity, cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and accuracy. Thus, we optimized the process of molecular MAS for seedless grapes, focusing on the KASP_VviAGL11 marker as a central component, to provide key technical support for the development of new seedless grape cultivars.