Volume 18, Issue 2 (4-2026)
J Crop Breed 2026, 18(2): 92-102 |
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Seifolahpour B, Bahraminejad S, Cheghamirza K, Sasani S, Mohammadi S A. (2026). Localization of QTLs Related to Phonological Traits in a Population Derived from a Cross between Wheat Cultivars “Norstar” × “Marvdasht”. J Crop Breed. 18(2), 92-102. doi:10.61882/jcb.2026.1635
URL: http://jcb.sanru.ac.ir/article-1-1635-en.html
URL: http://jcb.sanru.ac.ir/article-1-1635-en.html
Behnaz Seifolahpour1, Sohbat Bahraminejad *1 
, Kianoosh Cheghamirza1, Shahryar Sasani2, Seyed Abolghasem Mohammadi3
, Kianoosh Cheghamirza1, Shahryar Sasani2, Seyed Abolghasem Mohammadi3
1- Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
2- Department of Crop and Horticultural Science Research, Kermanshah Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Kermanshah, Iran
3- Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
2- Department of Crop and Horticultural Science Research, Kermanshah Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Kermanshah, Iran
3- Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract: (424 Views)
Extended Abstract
Background: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple food crop, and the main focus of agricultural and biological research is on its evolution, genetics, biodiversity, and ecology. Among various wheat species, bread wheat is particularly noteworthy for its high nutritional value and widespread cultivation. This crop is a source of nutrients for approximately 40% of the world's population. Recently, climate change and global warming have directly affected the quantity and quality of agricultural products, with great intensity and the extent of numerous stresses. Therefore, increasing wheat yield is an essential requirement for achieving global food and nutritional security. Due to the wide genetic diversity of this crop, wheat breeders select the optimal maturity date to match the climatic conditions in their target environments. Adaptable plants to climate change could survive adverse stress factors, such as frost, heat, and drought, by adjusting their flowering time to seasonal conditions to protect floral organs. Variation in phenotypic traits indicates genetic diversity and allows the identification of genotypes with desirable characteristics for breeding programs. QTL mapping plays an important role in reducing the growth period and increasing grain yield by providing an alternative approach to improve conventional breeding methods using molecular markers that are closely related to phenological traits. The present study aimed to identify early maturing lines, locate QTLs for wheat phenological traits in an inbred population of recombinant lines, and identify markers linked to the phenological traits for use in marker-assisted selection.
Methods: To facilitate the breeding of important traits in wheat, 131 lines of the F6 generation population of bread wheat were cultivated with their parents in an alpha lattice design with two replications in the 2019-2020 crop year at the Research Farm of Razi University. The total rainfall was 409.9 mm during this period. Seeds were manually sown in plots comprising three rows, each 1 meter in length, with a row spacing of 0.22 m and a planting density of 400 seeds per square meter. The recorded phenological data included days to booting, days to heading, days to anthesis, duration of kernel filling period, and days to physiological maturity. Analysis of variance and the comparison of means with the LSD method were carried out after examining the normality of the data using SAS 9.1 software. The cluster analysis was performed using JMP 13 software. A linkage map was drawn with 55 SSR markers and eight retrotransposon markers (IRAP) using JoinMap® 4 software with a LOD of at least three runs, and the recombination rate was converted to map distance using Haldane's function. Then, QTLswere identified on linkage groups with the Composite Interval Locating (CIM) and the at least two LOD method using WinQTL Cartographer ver.2.5 software.
Results: According to the results of analysis of variance, the studied lines were significantly different in all traits under consideration, indicating sufficient diversity between them. Lines 16, 23, 69, 81, and 101 showed the lowest average length of the grain filling period. The range of broad heritability for phonological traits (99.05-99.82%), showing the high attribution of genetics in the control of the traits. Based on cluster analysis, the lines along with their parents were divided into four groups, with the third group being the earliest with an average days to physiological maturity of 194 days, and the fourth group including the latest lines with an average days to physiological maturity of 203 days. Based on QTL analysis, four loci were identified for the days to physiological maturity and kernel filling period. For days to physiological maturity, two QTL on an unknown first linkage group and Chromosome 1B were identified with a coefficient of determination of 19.08% for the maternal Marvdasht parent, and two QTL on chromosomes 1B and 3B with 22.48% for the kernel filling period with paternal Norstar parent effectiveness.
Conclusion: In this study, higher or lower values were observed for the studied phonological traits in some lines than in their parents, which indicates invasive segregation for these traits. The high general heritability range for these traits may indicate a high contribution of genetic factors in controlling these traits. A number of lines with early maturity were identified. Preserving and studying this unique diversity is essential for developing high-quality species that can withstand biotic and abiotic stressors, which are becoming increasingly important in the face of climate change and environmental degradation. The identified QTLs were located on linkage groups 1B, 3B, and the first unknown group. For days to physiological maturity, a QTL was identified on linkage group 1B, which showed strong linkage with the marker GWM11. This study provides valuable information on their genetic loci underlying traits, such as days to physiological maturity and the length of the kernel filling period, which are considered important factors in increasing grain yield. According to the results of this study, ideal genotypes with high stability are expected to have an average spike emergence stage and days to maturity in environments where rainfall fluctuates from year to year due to climate change.
Background: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple food crop, and the main focus of agricultural and biological research is on its evolution, genetics, biodiversity, and ecology. Among various wheat species, bread wheat is particularly noteworthy for its high nutritional value and widespread cultivation. This crop is a source of nutrients for approximately 40% of the world's population. Recently, climate change and global warming have directly affected the quantity and quality of agricultural products, with great intensity and the extent of numerous stresses. Therefore, increasing wheat yield is an essential requirement for achieving global food and nutritional security. Due to the wide genetic diversity of this crop, wheat breeders select the optimal maturity date to match the climatic conditions in their target environments. Adaptable plants to climate change could survive adverse stress factors, such as frost, heat, and drought, by adjusting their flowering time to seasonal conditions to protect floral organs. Variation in phenotypic traits indicates genetic diversity and allows the identification of genotypes with desirable characteristics for breeding programs. QTL mapping plays an important role in reducing the growth period and increasing grain yield by providing an alternative approach to improve conventional breeding methods using molecular markers that are closely related to phenological traits. The present study aimed to identify early maturing lines, locate QTLs for wheat phenological traits in an inbred population of recombinant lines, and identify markers linked to the phenological traits for use in marker-assisted selection.
Methods: To facilitate the breeding of important traits in wheat, 131 lines of the F6 generation population of bread wheat were cultivated with their parents in an alpha lattice design with two replications in the 2019-2020 crop year at the Research Farm of Razi University. The total rainfall was 409.9 mm during this period. Seeds were manually sown in plots comprising three rows, each 1 meter in length, with a row spacing of 0.22 m and a planting density of 400 seeds per square meter. The recorded phenological data included days to booting, days to heading, days to anthesis, duration of kernel filling period, and days to physiological maturity. Analysis of variance and the comparison of means with the LSD method were carried out after examining the normality of the data using SAS 9.1 software. The cluster analysis was performed using JMP 13 software. A linkage map was drawn with 55 SSR markers and eight retrotransposon markers (IRAP) using JoinMap® 4 software with a LOD of at least three runs, and the recombination rate was converted to map distance using Haldane's function. Then, QTLswere identified on linkage groups with the Composite Interval Locating (CIM) and the at least two LOD method using WinQTL Cartographer ver.2.5 software.
Results: According to the results of analysis of variance, the studied lines were significantly different in all traits under consideration, indicating sufficient diversity between them. Lines 16, 23, 69, 81, and 101 showed the lowest average length of the grain filling period. The range of broad heritability for phonological traits (99.05-99.82%), showing the high attribution of genetics in the control of the traits. Based on cluster analysis, the lines along with their parents were divided into four groups, with the third group being the earliest with an average days to physiological maturity of 194 days, and the fourth group including the latest lines with an average days to physiological maturity of 203 days. Based on QTL analysis, four loci were identified for the days to physiological maturity and kernel filling period. For days to physiological maturity, two QTL on an unknown first linkage group and Chromosome 1B were identified with a coefficient of determination of 19.08% for the maternal Marvdasht parent, and two QTL on chromosomes 1B and 3B with 22.48% for the kernel filling period with paternal Norstar parent effectiveness.
Conclusion: In this study, higher or lower values were observed for the studied phonological traits in some lines than in their parents, which indicates invasive segregation for these traits. The high general heritability range for these traits may indicate a high contribution of genetic factors in controlling these traits. A number of lines with early maturity were identified. Preserving and studying this unique diversity is essential for developing high-quality species that can withstand biotic and abiotic stressors, which are becoming increasingly important in the face of climate change and environmental degradation. The identified QTLs were located on linkage groups 1B, 3B, and the first unknown group. For days to physiological maturity, a QTL was identified on linkage group 1B, which showed strong linkage with the marker GWM11. This study provides valuable information on their genetic loci underlying traits, such as days to physiological maturity and the length of the kernel filling period, which are considered important factors in increasing grain yield. According to the results of this study, ideal genotypes with high stability are expected to have an average spike emergence stage and days to maturity in environments where rainfall fluctuates from year to year due to climate change.
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