Efficiency of Sequence Characterized Amplified Region Markers for Selecting Non-Astringent Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.)

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) is classified into four types based on the fruit traits, astringency and flesh color. Of the four types, the pollination-constant non-astringent (PCNA) fruit is typically most desirable for consumption. In the present study, we used five sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers associated with astringency in persimmon fruit, namely E4/E9r, E4/A2r, 7H9F/AST-R, AST-F/AST-R, and AST-F/PCNA-F/5R3R, to improve the efficiency of PCNA-type persimmon breeding via marker-assisted selection (MAS). A total of 84 cultivars of the four types and their segregating F1 progeny were used to evaluate the association of SCAR markers with the fruit astringency phenotype. Polymerase chain reaction evaluation of each SCAR marker showed that E4/E9r combined with AST-F/PCNA-F/5R3R was appropriate for selecting the ast allele responsible for PCNA-type fruit, as the phenotype-genotype match percentages of these two markers were 94% and 99%, respectively. This MAS was verified by the successful use of AST-F/PCNA-F/5R3R to select 107 PCNA-type individuals from 609 F1 hybrid progeny derived from various crosses.