Mapping partial resistance to Botrytis fabae in a bi-parental cross of V. faba

Progeny of a cross of partially resistant Vicia faba L. cultivar "Maris Bead" and susceptible Egyptian landline "ig70726" were screened for resistance to chocolate spot, a devastating foliar disease caused by the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis fabae Sard., in a series of field experiments between 2016 and 2021. A high-density linkage map was constructed using DArT-markers and several candidate QTLs were identified. A snapshot transcriptomic experiment exploring differential expression early in the infection process in seedlings of both parents was conducted, identifying several differentially expressed transcripts involved in early-stage defence against B. fabae.