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Map** QTLs controlling kernel dimensions in a wheat inter-varietal RIL map** population

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Seven kernel dimension QTLs were identified in wheat, and kernel thickness was found to be the most important dimension for grain weight improvement.

Abstract

Kernel morphology and weight of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) affect both yield and quality; however, the genetic basis of these traits and their interactions has not been fully understood. In this study, to investigate the genetic factors affecting kernel morphology and the association of kernel morphology traits with kernel weight, kernel length (KL), width (KW) and thickness (KT) were evaluated, together with hundred-grain weight (HGW), in a recombinant inbred line population derived from Nanda2419 × Wangshuibai, with data from five trials (two different locations over 3 years). The results showed that HGW was more closely correlated with KT and KW than with KL. A whole genome scan revealed four QTLs for KL, one for KW and two for KT, distributed on five different chromosomes. Of them, QKl.nau-2D for KL, and QKt.nau-4B and QKt.nau-5A for KT were newly identified major QTLs for the respective traits, explaining up to 32.6 and 41.5% of the phenotypic variations, respectively. Increase of KW and KT and reduction of KL/KT and KW/KT ratios always resulted in significant higher grain weight. Lines combining the Nanda 2419 alleles of the 4B and 5A intervals had wider, thicker, rounder kernels and a 14% higher grain weight in the genotype-based analysis. A strong, negative linear relationship of the KW/KT ratio with grain weight was observed. It thus appears that kernel thickness is the most important kernel dimension factor in wheat improvement for higher yield. Map** and marker identification of the kernel dimension-related QTLs definitely help realize the breeding goals.

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Acknowledgements

This study was partially supported by NSFC Fund 31430064, National Key Research and Development Programs of China 2016YFD0101802 and 2016YFD0100402, JSNSF BK20130679 and BK20160714, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Initiative for Modern Crop Production and ‘111’ project B08025.

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    1. Crop Genomics and Bioinformatics Center and College of Agricultural Sciences, Nan**g Agricultural University, Jiangsu, 210095, People’s Republic of China

      Ruiru Cheng, Zhongxin Kong, Liwei Zhang, Quan **e, Haiyan Jia, Dong Yu, Yulong Huang & Zhengqiang Ma

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    1. Ruiru Cheng
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    Correspondence to Zhengqiang Ma.

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    Communicated by Susanne Dreisigacker.

    Ruiru Cheng and Zhongxin Kong contributed equally to this article.

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    Cheng, R., Kong, Z., Zhang, L. et al. Map** QTLs controlling kernel dimensions in a wheat inter-varietal RIL map** population. Theor Appl Genet 130, 1405–1414 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-017-2896-2

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