2018 ASHS Annual Conference

Dihydrochalcones (DHCs), including phloridzin, sieboldin, and trilobatin are phenolics found in Malus species, with phloridzin as the primary form found in most species, including cultivated apple. DHCs in apple have unique chemical properties with commercial and nutritional value. To understand the genetic basis of these DHCs in Malus, five F₁ populations were developed with a common male parent (Malus prunifolia PI 589816). DHC content was measured in each population and we observed segregation of phloridzin, sieboldin, and trilobatin into five distinct profiles, fitting a model for three independently segregating loci. QTL on linkage groups 7 and 8 associated with trilobatin and sieboldin were identified with linkage analysis and association mapping using the USDA Malus collection in Geneva, NY.