Marker-Assisted Selection for Climate-Resilient Vegetable Crops in Northern Ethiopia: A Replication Study

Marker-assisted selection (MAS) is a genetic improvement technique that uses DNA markers to identify individuals with desirable traits for breeding programmes. A two-year experimental garden study was conducted, involving field trials with selected vegetable varieties. DNA markers were used to screen seeds from different genotypes. The proportion of marker alleles associated with climate-resilience in tested vegetables ranged between 45% and 60%, indicating a moderate level of genetic diversity that can be leveraged for MAS. MAS has the potential to accelerate the development of climate-resistant vegetable varieties, contributing to sustainable agriculture in northern Ethiopia. Further research should focus on validating the effectiveness of selected genotypes under field conditions and exploring additional markers for broader trait coverage. Marker-assisted selection, climate-resilience, vegetable crops, genetic improvement, agricultural sustainability The empirical specification follows $Y=\beta_0+\beta^\top X+\varepsilon$, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.