Abstract
Understanding the genetic architecture of drought tolerance is of great importance for overcoming the negative impact of drought on wheat yield. Earlier, we discovered the critical role of chromosome 2A for the drought-tolerant status of wheat spring cultivar Saratovskaya 29. A set of 92 single-chromosome recombinant double haploid (SCRDH) lines were obtained in the genetic background of Saratovskaya 29. The lines carry fragments of chromosome 2A from the drought-sensitive cultivar Yanetzkis Probat. The SCRDH lines were used to identify regions on chromosome 2A associated with the manifestation of physiological and agronomical traits under distinct water supply, and to identify candidate genes that may be associated with adaptive gene networks in wheat. Genotyping was done with Illumina Infinium 15k wheat array using 590 SNP markers with 146 markers being polymorphic. In four identified regions of chromosome 2A, 53 out of 58 QTLs associated with physiological and agronomic traits under contrasting water supply were mapped. Thirty-nine candidate genes were identified, of which 18 were transcription factors. The region 73.8–78.1 cM included the largest number of QTLs and candidate genes. The variation in SNPs associated with agronomical and physiological traits revealed among the SCRDH lines may provide useful information for drought related marker-assisted breeding.
Highlights
The purpose of this study was to identify the regions on chromosome 2A of bread wheat associated with the manifestation of physiological and agronomical traits under contrasting water supply conditions, and to identify candidate genes in these regions that may be associated with adaptive gene networks in wheat
The donor Yanetzkis Probat (YP) showed earlier tillering but later ripening, shorter stem and peduncle length, longer main spikes, greater number of spikelets, smaller grains, and a lower thousand grain weight (TGW) compared to the recipient S29
The single chromosome recombinant double haploid (SCRDH) lines of bread wheat were used for the first time for mapping QTLs associated with drought tolerance
Summary
Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most economically and socially important crops in the world. According to FAOSTAT (www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC, accessed on 19 May 2021), approximately 766 million tons of grain were produced on all five continents in 2019. Grain consumers live in 90 countries and account for 40%. Current climate change is contributing to an increase in the frequency and severity of droughts around the world [1,2]. Drought is considered the most challenging stress to global agriculture reducing the annual yield as well as yield stability over the years [3]. A meta-analysis study of 60 publications showed that wheat yields decreased by 27.5% under drought [4]. Wheat cultivation in the dryland was more prone to yield loss than in the non-dryland regions [5]
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