Molecular Marker Analysis for Resistance of Soybean Cultivars to Soybean Cyst Nematode

Soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines Ichinohe; SCN) is an important soybean pest and the use of resistant cultivars is the effective method to reduce or eliminate SCN damage. However, breeding for SCN resistance is difficult and expensive by the oligogenic nature of the resistance and genetic variability in the pathogen. Fortunately, SCN resistance loci, rhg1 and Rhg4 are generally accepted as a necessity for the development of resistant genotypes using any source of resistance. In this study, resistance of 44 Korean soybean cultivars to SCN was tested using two molecular markers. Seonheukkong and Pokwangkong were the homozygous to rhg1 locus. Seven cultivars were susceptible to SCN based on Satt309 marker linked rhg1 locus. All Korean cultivars estimated in this study were recessive homozygous to Rhg4 locus and were susceptible in the PCR reaction using primer 548/563 linked to the Rhg4 locus conferring resistance to SCN race 3. Among 44 cultivars estimated, seven cultivars were susceptible to SCN in both Satt309 and primer 548/563 markers. Based on both Satt309 and primer 548/563 markers, there is no resistant cultivar to SCN in Korea. Therefore, SCN resistant cultivars need to be developed in the future. These two markers can be used for improving SCN resistant cultivars.