Association analysis of grain traits with SSR markers between Aegilops tauschii and hexaploid wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)

Seven important grain traits, including grain length（GL）, grain width（GW）, grain perimeter（GP）, grain area（GA）, grain length/width ratio（GLW）, roundness（GR）, and thousand-grain weight（TGW）, were analyzed using a set of 139 simple sequence repeat（SSR） markers in 130 hexaploid wheat varieties and 193 Aegilops tauschii accessions worldwide. In total, 1 612 alleles in Ae. tauschii and 1 360 alleles in hexaploid wheat（Triticum aestivum L.） were detected throughout the D genome. 197 marker-trait associations in Ae. tauschii were identified with 58 different SSR loci in 3 environments, and the average phenotypic variation value（R2） ranged from 0.68 to 15.12%. In contrast, 208 marker-trait associations were identified in wheat with 66 different SSR markers in 4 environments and the average phenotypic R2 ranged from 0.90 to 19.92%. Further analysis indicated that there are 6 common SSR loci present in both Ae. tauschii and hexaploid wheat, which are significantly associated with the 5 investigated grain traits（i.e., GA, GP, GR, GL, and TGW） and in total, 16 alleles derived from the 6 aforementioned SSR loci were shared by Ae. tauschii and hexaploid wheat. These preliminary data suggest the existence of common alleles may explain the evolutionary process and the selection between Ae. tauschii and hexaploid wheat. Furthermore, the genetic differentiation of grain shape and thousand-grain weight were observed in the evolutionary developmental process from Ae. tauschii to hexaploid wheat.

QTL Mapping for Grain Size Traits Based on Extra-Large Grain Rice Line TD70

Grain size traits, including grain length, grain width and grain thickness, are controlled by quantitative trait loci （QTLs）. Many QTLs relating to rice grain size traits had been reported, but their control mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. A recombinant inbred line （RIL） population of 240 lines, deriving from a cross between TD70, an extra-large grain size japonica line with 80 g of 1000-grain weight, and Kasalath, a small grain size indica variety, were constructed and used to map grain size QTLs to a linkage map by using 141 SSR markers in 2010 and 2011. Five QTLs for grain length, six for grain width and seven for grain thickness were detected distributing over chromosomes 2, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 12. Seven QTLs, namely qGL3.1, qGW2, qGW2.2, qGW5.1, qGW5.2, qGT2.3 and qGT3.1, were detected in either of the two years and explained for 56.19%, 4.42%, 29.41%, 10.37%, 7.61%, 21.19% and 17.06% of the observed phenotypic variances on average, respectively. The marker interval RM1347-RM5699 on chromosome 2 was found common for grain length, grain width and grain thickness; qGL3.1 and qGT3.1 were mapped to the same interval RM6080-RM6832 on chromosome 3. All 18 QTL alleles were derived from the large grain parent TD70. Most of the QTLs mapped in the present study were found the same as the genes previously cloned （GW2, GS3 or qGL3, GW5 and GS5）, and several were the same as the QTLs （GS7 and qGL-7） previously mapped. Three QTLs, qGL2.2 on chromosome 2, qGW9 and qGT9 on chromosome 9, were first detected. These results laid a foundation for further fine mapping or cloning of these QTLs.

Effect of Cold-Water Irrigation on Grain Quality Traits in japonica Rice Varieties from Yunnan Province,China

The response of grain quality traits to cold-water irrigation and its correlation with cold tolerance were studied in 11 japonica rice varieties from Yunnan Province, China. The results indicated that the response of grain quality traits to the cold-water stress varied with rice varieties and grain quality traits. Under the cold-water stress, grain width, chalky rice rate, whiteness, 1000-grain weight, brown rice rate, taste meter value, peak viscosity, trough viscosity, breakdown viscosity and final viscosity significantly decreased, whereas grain length-width ratio, head rice rate, alkali digestion value, protein content and setback viscosity markedly increased. However, the other traits such as grain length, amylose content, milled rice rate, peak viscosity time and pasting temperature were not significantly affected by the cold-water stress. Significant correlations were discovered between phenotypic acceptability and cold response indices of taste meter value, protein content, peak viscosity and breakdown viscosity. Therefore, it would be very important to improve the cold tolerance of Yunnan rice varieties in order to stabilize and improve their eating quality.

Morphological and physiological traits of large-panicle rice varieties with high filled-grain percentage

financed by the Special Program of Super Rice of Ministry of Agriculture, China （02318802013231）;the National Public Services Sectors （Agricultural） Research Projects, Ministry of Agriculture, China （201303102）;the Great Technology Project of Ningbo, China （2013C11001）

Analysis of genetic relationships between grain milling quality traits and plant agronomic traits of rice

Since seed and maternal plant are in different generations,the grain milling traits and plant agronomic traits of rice are based on differentgenetic models.Using the genetic modelswhich could estimate covariance componentsbetween two traits with unequal design matri-ces,we analyzed the gentic relationships be-

Comparison of Grain Quality Characteristics Between F_1 Hybrids and Their Parents in Indica Hybrid Rice

Sixteen widespread elite indica parents including seven CMS lines and nine restorer lines, and their 63 F_1 hybrids were chosen to compare the eleven traits of grain quality. Overall results showed that the frequency of negative over-dominance, dominance and partial dominance was much higher than that of positive ones and heterosis, indicating that the values of F_1 hybrids were generally lower than the means of their parents in quality characteristics. There existed apparent disparity in grain quality performance among F_1 hybrids varied with the traits. The characteristics of chalky area percentage, chalky grain percentage, gel consistency and head rice recovery had a great variation in all kinds of tested heterosis indices including the mid-parent heterosis index, over high-value parent heterosis index and over low-value parent heterosis index, which suggested that special attention should be paid to the selection of F_1 hybrids in these traits in breeding. The mean values of F_1 hybrids were significantly lower than those of their higher parents in all the traits but close to or significantly lower than those of their mid-parent values except for kernel length and amylose content; and significantly higher than those of their lower parents except for brown rice recovery, milled rice recovery and gel consistency.

QTL analysis for some quantitative traits in bread wheat

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis was conducted in bread wheat for 14 important traits utilizing data from four different mapping populations involving different approaches of QTL analysis. Analysis for grain protein content (GPC) sug- gested that the major part of genetic variation for this trait is due to environmental interactions. In contrast, pre-harvest sprouting tolerance (PHST) was controlled mainly by main effect QTL (M-QTL) with very little genetic variation due to environmental interactions; a major QTL for PHST was detected on chromosome arm 3AL. For grain weight, one QTL each was detected on chromosome arms 1AS, 2BS and 7AS. QTL for 4 growth related traits taken together detected by different methods ranged from 37 to 40; nine QTL that were detected by single-locus as well as two-locus analyses were all M-QTL. Similarly, single-locus and two-locus QTL analyses for seven yield and yield contributing traits in two populations respectively allowed detection of 25 and 50 QTL by composite interval mapping (CIM), 16 and 25 QTL by multiple-trait composite interval mapping (MCIM) and 38 and 37 QTL by two-locus analyses. These studies should prove useful in QTL cloning and wheat improvement through marker aided selection.

Dissecting the Genetic Basis of Grain Shape and Chalkiness Traits in Hybrid Rice Using Multiple Collaborative Populations

Dear Editor Through the efficient use of heterosis, hybrid rice varieties generally have higher grain yield potential than inbred varieties. With the significant advantage in grain yield, over the past 30 years approximately half of China＇s total rice-growing area is planted with rice hybrids. However, grain quality has now become one of the most important targets in hybrid rice breeding for meeting consumer demands. Grain shape and chalkiness are two important components of rice grain quality, in which slender grains （typically, grain length-to-width ratio 〉3） with low chatkiness are preferred by most consumers of hybrid rice.