ADVANCED BACKCROSS QTL ANALYSIS IN A CROSS BETWEEN AN ELITE PROCESSING LINE OF TOMATO AND ITS WILD RELATIVE L-PIMPINELLIFOLIUM

Approximately 170 BC2 plants from a cross between an elite processing inbred (recurrent parent) and the wild species Lycopersicon pimpinelli folium LA1589 (donor parent) were analyzed with segregating molecular markers covering the entire tomato genome. Marker data were used to id entify QTLs controlling a battery of horticultural traits measured on BC2F1 and BC3 families derived from the BC2 individuals. Despite its o verall inferior appearance, L. pimpinellifolium was shown to possess Q TL alleles capable of enhancing most traits important in processing to mato production. QTL-NIL lines, containing specific QTLs modifying fru it size and shape, were subsequently constructed and shown to display the transgressive phenotypes predicted from the original BC2 QTL analy sis. The potential of exploiting unadapted and wild germplasm via adva nced backcross QTL analysis for the enhancement of elite crop varietie s is discussed.