Identification of microsatellite markers in coffee associated with resistance to Meloidogyne exigua.

: Meloidogyne species are destructive phytonematodes that result in reduced yields of coffee. The classic test for resistance to Meloidogyne exigua in coffee progenies is both expensive and time-consuming. The use of molecular marker techniques can assist the selection process when it is difficult to measure the phenotype, such as in cases of resistance to nematode infestation. The objective of this study was to identify microsatellite markers associated with resistance to M. exigua in F5 progenies of coffee derived from a cross between Hibrido de Timor 440-10 and Catuai Amarelo IAC 86. Of the 44 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers evaluated, 11 showed a polymorphic pattern with a mean number of 4.5 alleles per marker. Clustering analysis classified 82 progenies into three groups related to the response to nematodes and parental genotypes allocated to different groups (resistant and susceptible). SSRCafe 40 allele 2, SSRCafe 15 allele 3, SSRCafe 20 allele 3, and SSRCafe 13 allele 1 were negatively correlated with reproduction factor. In addition, SSRCafe 13 allele 2, SSRCafe 19 allele 3, SSRCafe 40 allele 2, SSRCafe 15 allele 3, and SSRCafe 20 allele 3 were correlated with the root gall index of M. exigua. These SSR markers, which have been validated in this population, represent a potential method to select progenies resistant to nematodes in coffee-breeding programs.