Application of Molecular Markers SNP and DArT in Plant Breeding: A Review Paper

Molecular markers (DNA markers) have entered the scene of genetic improvement in a wide range of horticultural crops. Among the major traits targeted for improvement in horticultural breeding programmes are disease and pest resistance, fruit yield and quality, tree shape, floral morphology, drought tolerance and dormancy. The development of molecular techniques for genetic analysis has led to a great increase in the knowledge of horticultural genetics and understanding and behavior of their genomes. These molecular techniques in particular, molecular markers, have been used to monitor DNA sequence variation in and among the species and create new sources of genetic variation by introducing new and favorable traits from landraces, wild relatives and related species and to fasten the time taken in conventional breeding. Today, markers are also being used for, genetic mapping, gene tagging and gene introgression from exotic and wild species.