Abstract
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important crops in the world. Here, four yield-related traits, namely, spike length, spikelets number, tillers number, and thousand-kernel weight, were evaluated in 272 Chinese wheat landraces in multiple environments. Five multi-locus genome-wide association studies (FASTmrEMMA, ISIS EN-BLASSO, mrMLM, pKWmEB, and pLARmEB) were performed using 172,711 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to identify yield-related quantitative trait loci (QTL). A total of 27 robust QTL were identified by more than three models. Nine of these QTL were consistent with those in previous studies. The remaining 18 QTL may be novel. We identified a major QTL, QTkw.sicau-4B, with up to 18.78% of phenotypic variation explained. The developed kompetitive allele-specific polymerase chain reaction marker for QTkw.sicau-4B was validated in two recombinant inbred line populations with an average phenotypic difference of 16.07%. After combined homologous function annotation and expression analysis, TraesCS4B01G272300 was the most likely candidate gene for QTkw.sicau-4B. Our findings provide new insights into the genetic basis of yield-related traits and offer valuable QTL to breed wheat cultivars via marker-assisted selection.
Highlights
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important crops in the world
Previous studies found that the accuracy and efficiency of models, including generalized linear, mixed linear, and multi-locus models, have constantly improved (Zhang et al, 2005; Price et al, 2006; Li et al, 2018)
FASTmrEMMA was more conservative, and pKWmEB was the most effective model of the five models (Supplementary Table S3; Figure 1); this finding is in agreement with the previous studies (Li et al, 2018; Lü et al, 2018)
Summary
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important crops in the world. A 100% increase in crop production by 2050 will be needed to keep pace with projected human population growth (Ray et al, 2013). It is imperative to increase crop yield. Wheat yield consists of three main components, including spike number per plant, grain number per spike, and thousand-kernel weight (TKW). Spike number per plant is determined by tillers number (TN) per plant. Spikelets number (SN) per spike and spike length (SL) significantly affect grain number per spike. Understanding the genetic basis of these yield-related traits can contribute to improving wheat yield
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
