Phenotypic Relationship between Roots and Important Shoot Agronomic Traits Using a RIL and Two Derived Backcross Populations of Super Rice Xieyou 9308

Abstract

A RIL population of Xieyou 9308 and two derived backcross populations derived from the RIL backcrossing with its recurrent parents were used in this study. Morphological traits were investigated including seven root parameters and ten shoot parameters under water culture and field experiment, respectively. The phenotypic correlation between root traits and shoot traits was analyzed within XBR, RIL, and ZHR populations, carried out by ANOVA and correlation analysis utilizing DPS software. In both environments, the two recurrent parents showed significant difference in all traits. Transgressive-segregation and continuous dis-tribution for all the traits were observed in three populations under two conditions. The root length (RL) correlated positively with five root traits including total root length (TRL), dry root weight (DRW), root surface area (RSA), root volume (RV), number of root tip (RT). However, the correlations between root diameter (RD) and the other six traits were negative. Six shoot agronomic traits including heading date (HD), plant height (PH), panicle length (PL), grain yield per plant (GYPP), number of spikelets per panicle (SPP), and grain setting density (GSD) showed a significantly positive correlation with the root traits while the other four aboveground traits correlated with root traits negatively. All the ten shoot traits correlated with RD negatively. The goal of this work was therefore to provide some reliable information for hybrid breeding, and an useful selection criteria for super rice combination based on root morphological traits.