QTL detection and genomic prediction for resistance to anthracnose in alfalfa (Medicago sativa).

Forage production, persistence, and associated ecosystem services provided by the major forage legume, alfalfa (Medicago sativa), may be affected by disease susceptibility. Resistance to anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum trifolii, has been described as an oligogenic trait, but the precise location of resistance genes on the alfalfa genome is not known. Therefore, we phenotyped a set of 417 alfalfa accessions for anthracnose resistance as the frequency of resistant plants.