QTLs associated with and methods for identifying whole plant field resistance to Sclerotinia

A method of identifying a Brassica plant or Brassica germplasm that exhibits whole plant field resistance or improved whole plant field resistance to Sclerotinia, the method comprising:

• (a) isolating a nucleic acid from a Brassica plant or Brassica germplasm;
• (b) detecting in the nucleic acid from the plant or germplasm at least one allele of at least one quantitative trait locus (QTL) that is associated with the whole plant field resistance or improved whole plant field resistance to Sclerotinia, wherein the QTL is localized to linkage group N18 wherein said linkage group comprises at least one marker that is associated with the whole plant field resistance or improved whole plant field resistance to Sclerotinia with a statistical significance of p≤0.01, wherein the at least one marker comprises BG0278 (SEQ ID NO:
• 36), CA0636 (SEQ ID NO:
• 81), UB0315 (SEQ ID NO:
• 122), or CA0739 (SEQ ID NO:
• 85), thereby identifying a Brassica plant or germplasm that exhibits said resistance to Sclerotinia;
• (c) crossing the Brassica plant or Brassica germplasm of (b) with a second Brassica plant or germplasm not having the at least one marker of step (b) in its genome;
• (d) collecting seed from the plant resulting from the cross in step (c);
• and
• (e) growing a progeny Brassica plant or germplasm which exhibits said resistance to Sclerotinia from said seed which comprises at least one of said markers in its genome.