QTL Mapping and Marker Assisted Breeding in Rubus spp.

Recent developments in genetics and genomics have advanced research in all crops including soft fruit species. Molecular markers which detect genome-wide variability in both protein coding and non-coding regions have enabled genetic mapping studies to move beyond linkages between simple morphological traits (Jennings 1967a, 1988; Ourecky 1975; Crane and Lawrence 1931; Keep 1968) to linkage maps containing numerous genetic markers which can be utilised in marker assisted breeding. Until recently, mapping in blackberry and other Rubus species has lagged behind that of red raspberry due to their more complex genetic make-up and lesser economic importance.