QTL mapping of the root traits and their correlation analysis with drought resistance using DH lines from paddy and upland rice cross

Abstract

A Double Haploid (DH) population, 116 plants, derived from the cross between Japonica upland rice IRAT109 and paddy rice Yuefu, planted in PVC pipe under upland ecosystem in 2001 and 2002, was used in this study. Seven root traits, including basal root thickness (BRT), total root number (RN), maximum root length (MRL), root fresh weight (RFW), root dry weight (RDW), ratio of root fresh weight to shoot fresh weight (RFW/SFW) and ratio of root dry weight to shoot dry weight (RDW/SDW), were studied. Using index of drought resistance (IDR), the ratio of yield under upland ecosystem to yield under lowland ecosystem of DH lines, as the criteria of drought resistance, and correlation analysis between root traits and IDR, showed that BRT, MRL and RN were significantly correlated with IDR. High IDR lines had thicker BRT, longer MRL and less RN than low IDR lines. A molecular linkage map with 94 RFLP markers and 71 SSR markers covering 1535.1 cM was produced. QTLs and GxE interactions for BRT, RN, MRL, RFW, RDW, RFW/SFW and RDW/SDW were obtained based on the constructed molecular linkage map and software QTLmapper version 1.0. A total of 18 additive QTLs and 18 pairs of epistatic QTLs associated with root traits were detected. There were nine additive QTLs and two pairs of epistatic QTLs performed significant interactions with environment. Some QTLs with high general contribution and no GxE interaction were obtained. Two pairs of epistatic QTLsmrl3 andmrl8, brt3 andbrtlla controlling MRL and BRT had high general contributions of 21.51% and 13.03% respectively. An additive QTL and a pair of epistatic QTLs controlling RFW and RDW had high general contributions of 13.50% and 25.64% respectively. Marker assisted selection (MAS) for rice drought resistance based on QTL with high general contribution, low GxE interaction and tightly linkage with IDR were also discussed.