Classification of “nabana” (Brassica rapa) cultivars and landraces based on simple sequence repeat markers

Brassica rapa or B. napus vegetables for eating as young inflorescences and stalks are called “nabana”. Japanese nabana includes “flower-bud type” and “stem-and-leaf type”. Chinese and European types are also known (cai-xin, zicaitai, and broccoletto). We classified nabana belonging to B. rapa and other B. rapa vegetables. In a simple sequence repeat-based phylogram, 49 ingroup samples were classified into four groups (I–IV). Flower-bud and stem-and-leaf types were separated into groups I and III, respectively, with a slight overlap in group II. Cai-xin and non-heading Chinese cabbages were included in group IV. Broccoletto was placed in group III, close to turnips. Zicaitai cultivars were included in group II. We tested for clubroot resistance (CR) and its marker genotypes in nabana because of their agronomical importance. Ten cultivars were resistant to group 4 pathogen but not to group 2. Most of the CR cultivars had heterozygous resistance alleles in the CRb and Crr1 loci, consistent with inoculation tests. Our results suggest that Japanese nabana lines and foreign types were differentiated according to their consumption parts and cultivar origins, respectively. This study elucidates the relationships and CR properties of nabana and provides valuable information for the breeding of nabana cultivars.