Bonny Oloka
Research Scholar
Bio
- Degree Program: PhD, Horticulture Science (Plant Breeding)
- Previous Degrees: BS (Biochemistry), MS (Plant Breeding and Seed Systems), Makerere University Kampala, Uganda
- Advisor: Craig Yencho
- Dissertation: Genetic Linkage Map Construction and QTL Analysis of Important Pest and Agronomic Traits in Two Bi-parental Sweetpotato SNP Mapping Populations.
- Dissertation Date: 2018-11-20
Research
In the developing world, sweetpotato is a staple food crop providing important calorie and energy requirements particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia. Mainly local landraces are grown in sub-Saharan Africa in small plots, and these are cream or white-fleshed sweetpotato that have high dry-matter content (28-30%) and low sugars. However, the full potential of sweetpotato has not yet been recognized world over due to the crops complex genetics, limited genomic resources and a wide array of biotic and abiotic stresses. This project will contribute to the development of modern breeding tools for sweetpotato improvement and faster genetic gain in the crop. The specific objectives are to (1) identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and develop a genetic map using a New Kawogo x Beauregard (NKB) and Tanzania x Beauregard (TB) bi-parental mapping population, (2) identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for SPVD and nematode resistance, and (3) validate the SNPs in an independent diverse population and test their reliability for marker assisted selection (MAS) and genomic selection (GS).