Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. var. pekinensis) breeding: Application of molecular technology

Abstract

Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. var. pekinensis) is an economically important vegetable providing nutrients such as fiber, calcium and vitamins. Most cultivars of Chinese cabbage are F1 hybrids with vegetative heterosis, and harvesting of commercial F1 hybrid seeds makes use of self-incompatibility or cytoplasmic male sterility. Production of Chinese cabbage is always threatened by abiotic and biotic stress; climate change and increasing numbers of races and varieties of pathogens are also serious problems. The demand for abiotic or biotic resistant cultivars is growing year by year. An effective breeding method is desired, and marker-assisted selection (MAS) is a leading candidate. To apply MAS, identification of the causative gene or the locus linked to the causative gene controlling a trait for breeding is required. We review the recent research using molecular biology approaches and discuss how this information can apply to Chinese cabbage breeding.