Rbc2, a new dominant gene for resistance of soybean to Cowpea mild mottle virus: Inheritance and mapping

The objective of this work was to study the inheritance of soybean resistance to Soybean Steam Necrosis (SSN) and to map the resistance gene(s), using an F2 population from the cross between the soybean cultivars BRS 133 (resistant) and CD 206 (susceptible). A phenotypic evaluation was performed under controlled conditions, in a greenhouse. In a population of 114 F2 plants, 92 were resistant, and 22 were susceptible. The result is compatible with the inheritance of one dominant gene (χ2=1.98, P = 15.97%). Analysis of F1 and backcross populations confirmed the inheritance of one dominant gene. Bulk segregant analysis (BSA) was used as the mapping strategy. The resistance gene was mapped on chromosome 18 of the soybean genome, between markers Sat_308 and Satt303. This dominant gene is located on the same chromosome where the recessive SSN resistance gene rbc1 was mapped, at 8cM distance, and was named Rbc2.