Marker assisted selection

Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) is a process whereby a marker (morphological, biochemical or one based on DNA/RNA variation) is used for indirect selection of a genetic determinant or determinants of a trait of interest (i.e. productivity, disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, and/or quality). This process is used in plant and animal breeding.

A coordinated effort to implement wheat (Triticum turgidum and Triticum aestivum) marker assisted selection in the U.S. as well as a resource for marker assisted selection can be found at the Wheat CAP (Coordinated Agricultural Project) website (http://maswheat.ucdavis.edu).