Advances in Regulatory Mechanisms of Quantitative Traits Related toRice Yield

Abstract

Grain yield in rice is determined by three major components: grain weight, grain number per panicle, and tiller number per plant, which are main targets of rice breeding. All of these traits are typical quantitative traits. During the last decade, the quantitative genetic research on rice has made significant progress, and a number of quantitative trait loci associated with grain yield have been cloned. This paper briefly reviews the QTLs which have been cloned and functionally characterized. These findings have greatly enhanced the understanding of the genetic basis underlying the formation of yield traits in rice, and their exploitation will hold promise for crop genetic improvement.