Mapping QTLs for heading synchrony in a doubled haploid population of rice in two environments

Simultaneous heading of plants within the same rice variety, also refer to heading synchrony, is an important factor that affects simultaneous ripening of the variety. Understanding of the genetic basis of heading synchrony may contribute to molecular breeding of rice with simultaneous heading and ripening. In the present study, a doubled haploid （DH） population, derived from a cross between Chunjiang 06 and TN1 was used to analyze quantitative trait locus （QTL） for heading synchrony related traits, i.e., early heading date （EHD）, late heading date （LHD）, heading asynchrony （HAS）, and tiller number （PN）. A total of 19 QTLs for four traits distributed on nine chromosomes were detected in two environments. One QTL, qHAS-8 for HAS, explained 27.7% of the phenotypic variation, co-located with the QTLs for EHD and LHD, but it was only significant under long-day conditions in Hangzhou, China. The other three QTLs, qHAS-6, qHAS-9, and qHAS-10, were identified under short-day conditions in Hainan, China, each of which explained about 11% of the phenotypic variation. Two of them, qHAS-6 and qHAS-9, were co-located with the QTLs for EHD and LHD. Two QTLs, qPN-4 and qPN-5 for PN, were detected in Hangzhou, and qPN-5 was also detected in Hainan. However, none of them was co-located with QTLs for EHD, LHD, and HAS, suggesting that PN and HAS were controlled by different genetic factors. The results of this study can be useful in marker assisted breeding for improvement of heading synchrony.

From Green Super Rice to green agriculture:Reaping the promise of functional genomics research

Producing sufficient food with finite resources to feed the growing global population while having a smaller impact on the environment has always been a great challenge.Here,we review the concept and practices of Green Super Rice(GSR)that have led to a paradigm shift in goals for crop genetic improvement and models of food production for promoting sustainable agriculture.The momentous achievements and global deliveries of GSR have been fueled by the integration of abundant genetic resources,functional gene discoveries,and innovative breeding techniques with precise gene and whole-genome selection and efficient agronomic management to promote resource-saving,environmentally friendly crop production systems.We also provide perspectives on new horizons in genomic breeding technologies geared toward delivering green and nutritious crop varieties to further enhance the development of green agricul-ture and better nourish the world population.

Quantitative Trait Loci for Panicle Layer Uniformity Identified in Doubled Haploid Lines of Rice in Two Environments

Uniformity of stem height in rice directly affects crop yield potential and appearance, and has become a vital index for rice improvement. In the present study, a doubled haploid （DH） population, derived from a cross between japonica rice Chunjiang 06 and indica rice TN1 was used to analyze the quantitative trait locus （QTL） for three related traits of paniclelayer-uniformity; that is, the tallest panicle height, the lowest panicle height and panicle layer disuniforrnity in two locations：Hangzhou （HZ） and Hainan （HN）. A total of 16 QTLs for three traits distributed on eight chromosomes were detected in two different environments. Two QTLs, qTPH-4 and qTPH-8 were co-located with the QTLs for qLPH-4 and qLPH-8, which were only significant in the HZ environment, whereas the qTPH-6 and qLPH-6 located at the same interval were only significant in the HN environment. Two QTLs, qPLD-10.1 and qPLD-10.2, were closely linked to qTPH-10, and they might have been at the same locus. One QTL, qPLD-3, was detected in both environments, explaining more than 23% of the phenotypic variations. The CJ06 allele of qPLD-3 could increase the panicle layer disuniformity by 9.23 and 4.74 cm in the HZ and HN environments. Except for qPLD-3, almost all other QTLs for the same trait were detected only in one environment, indicating that these three traits were dramatically affected by environmental factors. The results may be useful for elucidation of the molecular mechanism of panicle-layer-uniformity and marker assisted breeding for super-rice.

A backbone parent contributes core genomic architecture to pedigree breeding of early-season indica rice

Due to the capacity to deliver favorable target traits to offspring via breeder selection,backbone parents carrying accumulated favorable agronomic traits have been used widely in breeding programs in crop species,such as rice,wheat,cotton,and maize(Zhou et al.,2016;Fradgley et al.,2019;Li et al.,2019;Ma et al.,2019;Han et al.,2020).It is estimated that 3656(~70%)of the major Chinese rice varieties released from the year 1950e2008 were found to be derived from as few as 35 backbone parents(Tang et al.,2012).Large-scale genome sequencing of diverse rice accessions has been emerged as a promising technology for the identification of key genomic regions or loci under selection during rice domestication(Huang et al.,2012;Wang et al.,2018)and genetic improvement(Xie et al.,2015).On the other hand,sequence information derived from breeding pedigrees could also help to unravel how favorable genomic regions were transmitted from parents to their offspring,as demonstrated by the researches on the pedigrees of the wellknown rice varieties Minghui 63 and Huanghuazhan(Zhou et al.,2016;Chen et al.,2017;Huang et al.,2018).These researches enhanced the understanding of the cumulative effects of beneficial alleles at limited loci in selected offspring varieties.A few examples include IPA1,Gn1a,GW5,GS3,and GS5 for high grain yield,Waxy for good grain eating quality,and Xa21 for high adversity adaptability.