Mapping kernel texture in a soft durum (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum) wheat population

Abstract

Kernel texture (”hardness”) is one of the major determinants of wheat quality and is primarily controlled by the Puroindoline (Pin) genes, located at the Hardness (Ha) locus. The absence of the Ha locus is responsible for the extremely hard kernels of durum wheat (T. turgidum subsp. durum). Recently, the Pin genes from a soft common wheat variety were introgressed into durum wheat through homoeologous recombination. The objective of this study was to map kernel hardness in a soft durum wheat population derived from the cross between the varieties “Creso” and “Langdon 1–678“. In all, 428 F6 lines were evaluated for kernel hardness through the Single Kernel Characterization System; Hardness Index (HI) values ranged from −2 to 44. The same lines were genotyped using genotyping-by-sequencing, targeted amplicon sequencing, and sequence-tagged-site markers. A total of 8537 markers were used to conduct single marker-trait association analysis and two major significant regions were identified on chromosomes 3AL and 6AS each responsible for an additive effect of ∼6 HI units. Kompetitive allele specific markers targeting these regions were selected and tested in the whole population. To date, this is the first study to investigate the genetic factors behind hardness variation in durum wheat.