QTL analysis of fruit components in the progeny of a Rennell Island Tall coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) individual

We investigated the genetic factors controlling fruit components in coconut by performing QTL analyses for fruit component weights and ratios in a segregating progeny of a Rennell Island Tall genotype. The underlying linkage map of this population was already established in a previous study, as well as QTL analyses for fruit production, which were used to complement our results. The addition of 53 new markers (mainly SSRs) led to minor amendments in the map. A total of 52 putative QTLs were identified for the 11 traits under study. Thirty-four of them were grouped in six small clusters, which probably correspond to single pleiotropic genes. Some additional QTLs located apart from these clusters also had relatively large effects on the individual traits. The QTLs for fruit component weight, endosperm humidity and fruit production were found at different locations in the genome, suggesting that efficient marker-assisted selection for yield can be achieved by selecting QTLs for the individual components. The detected QTLs descend from a genotype belonging to the “Pacific” coconut group. Based on the known molecular and phenotypic differences between “Pacific” and “Indo-Atlantic” coconuts, we suggest that a large fraction of coconut genetic diversity is still to be investigated by studying populations derived from crosses between these groups.