"Marker assisted selection: A fast track to increase genetic gain in plant and animal breeding?"

One month before the FAO e-mail conference on marker assisted selection began, the Fondazione per le Biotecnologie, the University of Turin and FAO organised an international workshop on 17-18 October 2003 in Turin, Italy entitled "Marker assisted selection: A fast track to increase genetic gain in plant and animal breeding?". The proceedings of the workshop, with 11 papers covering crops, livestock, fruit trees and farmed fish, provide an excellent overview of the current status of marker assisted selection and can be consulted by anyone looking for detailed technical information on this subject. The papers can be downloaded here in PDF format

General introduction to the workshop
S. Lanteri, University of Turin, Italy

Session I: Marker assisted selection in plants

1. Marker-assisted selection in improvement of quantitative traits of forage crops
O. Dolstra, C. Denneboom, A.L.F. de Vos and E.N. van Loo
Plant Research International, The Netherlands

2. Targeted introgression of cotton fiber quality QTLs using molecular markers
J.-M. Lacape, T.-B. Nguyen, B. Hau and M. Giband, Le Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), France.

3. MAS in cereals: green for maize, amber for rice, still red for wheat and barley
R. Koebner, John Innes Centre, United Kingdom

4. Molecular markers and their applications in cereals breeding
V. Korzun, Lochow-Petkus GmbH, Germany

5. Marker-assisted selection in pome fruit breeding
S. Tartarini, University of Bologna, Italy

6. Molecular marker-assisted selection for resistance to pathogens in tomato
A. Barone, Univerity of Naples, Italy

Session II: Marker assisted selection in animals

7. Animal breeding from infinitesimal model to MAS: The case of a backcross design in dairy sheep (Sarda x Lacaune) and its possible impact on selection
G. Pagnacco, University of Milan, Italy and A. Carta, Istituto Zootecnico e Caseario per la Sardegna, Italy

8. Strategies for utilising molecular marker data for livestock genetic improvement in the developing world
J.P. Gibson, International Livestock Research Institute, Kenya

9. Designs for QTL detection in livestock and their implications for MAS
D.J. de Koning, Roslin Institute, United Kingdom; J.C.M. Dekkers, Iowa State University, United States and C.S. Haley, Roslin Institute, United Kingdom

10. Genomic selection: the future of marker assisted selection and animal breeding
T.H.E. Meuwissen, Agricultural University of Norway, Norway

11. Possibilities for marker-assisted selection in fish breeding schemes
A.K. Sonesson, AKVAFORSK, Norway


Scientific Coordinators for the workshop were

Paolo Donini
National Institute of Agricultural Botany, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Sergio Lanteri
University of Turin, Italy

Paolo Ajmone Marsan
Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Piacenza, Italy

Andrea Sonnino
Research and Technological Development Service, FAO, Italy

The Organising Secretariat for the Conference:
Fondazione per le Biotecnologie
Viale Settimio Severo, 63 - 10133 TORINO (I)
Phone +39 011 6600187 - Fax +39 011 6600708
e-mail: mail@fobiotech.org
www.fobiotech.org


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Conference 10 of the FAO Biotechnology Forum is entitled "Molecular marker assisted selection as a potential tool for genetic improvement of crops, forest trees, livestock and fish in developing countries" and runs from 17 November to 12 December 2003.

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