Analysis of Introgressed Segments in Near-isogenic Lines for F_1 Pollen Sterility in Rice (Oryza sativa)

One hundred and fifty-eight microsatellite markers showing polymorphism among parents were used to survey the introgressed segments in the 50 near-isogenic lines of F_1 pollen sterility. Two hundred and sixty introgressed segments were detected in 50 near-isogenic lines, each carrying 5.2 introgressed segments on an average. Among the 260 segments, one hundred carrying F_1 pollen sterility loci concentrated on the region of F_1 pollen sterility genes, and the remaining one hundred and sixty without F_1 pollen sterility loci distributed randomly over 12 chromosomes. Both the average number and length of the introgressed segments decreased along with the increase of backcross generations. The number of introgressed segments was less than four and the length was less than 20 cM in the near-isogenic lines after backcrossing for four or more times.

Development of Chinese Near-isogenic Line of Rice and Their Differentiating Ability of Pathogenic Races of Blast Fungus

The rice( Oryza L. ) variety, Lijiangxintuanheigu(LTH), is a universally susceptible variety. A set of near-isogenic lines (NILs) of rice which has single resistance gene for each line was developed by use of LTH as recurrent parent and Kusabue,Tsuyuake, K1, PiNo. 4, K60 and BL1, which are from Kiyosawa's differential varieties(KDV), as donor parents. Differentiating ability of these NILs to Philippine isolates was compared with that of their donor parents, KDV and IRRI' s NILs. The results of comparative studies were as follows: (1) Differentiating ability of Chinese NILs to Philippine isolates was much stronger than that of their donor parents and that of KDV. (2) Chinese NILs had similar ability to differentiate races to IRRI's NILs or higher differentiating ability than them. But IRRI's NILs almost had no differentiating ability to isolates from japonica rice-growing regions. They can not be used to differentiate races of isolates from japonica ricegrowing regions. Whereas, Chinese NILs can be used to differentiate races of isolates from both japonica ricegrowing regions and indica rice-growing regions. It was concluded that the set of Chinese NILs can be used as international differentials.

Development and Identification of Introgression Lines from Cross of Oryza sativa and Oryza minuta

Introgression line population is effectively used in mapping quantitative trait loci（QTLs）,identifying favorable genes,discovering hidden genetic variation,evaluating the action or interaction of QTLs in multiple conditions and providing the favorable experimental materials for plant breeding and genetic research.In this study,an advanced backcross and consecutive selfing strategy was used to develop introgression lines（ILs）,which derived from an accession of Oryza minuta（accession No.101133） with BBCC genome,as the donor,and an elite indica cultivar IR24（O.sativa）,as the recipient.Introgression segments from O.minuta were screened using 164 polymorphic simple sequence repeat（SSR） markers in the genome of each IL.Introgressed segments carried by 131 ILs covered the whole O.sativa genome.The average number of homozygous O.minuta segments per introgression line was about 9.99.The average length of introgressed segments was approximate 14.78 cM,and about 79.64% of these segments had sizes less than 20 cM.In the genome of each introgression line,the O.minuta chromosomal segments harbored chromosomal fragments of O.sativa ranging from 1.15% to 27.6%,with an overall average of 8.57%.At each locus,the ratio of substitution of O.minuta alleles had a range of 1.5% 25.2%,with an average of 8.3%.Based on the evaluation of the phenotype of these ILs,a wide range of alterations in morphological and yield-related traits were found.After inoculation,ILs 41,11 and 7 showed high resistance to bacterial blight,brown planthopper and whitebacked planthopper,respectively.These O.minuta-O.sativa ILs will serve as genetic materials for identifying and using favorable genes from O.minuta.

Identification for Heat Tolerance in Backcross Recombinant Lines and Screening of Backcross Introgression Lines with Heat Tolerance at Milky Stage in Rice

The present study aimed at breeding new rice germplasms with similar genome but significantly differed in heat tolerance during the grain filling stage.A total of 791 BC1F8 backcross recombinant lines,derived from the cross of Xieqingzao B /N22 //Xieqingzao B,were used as materials.Each rice line was separated evenly into two groups,and the heat tolerance of all rice lines were evaluated at natural high temperature in fields.The rice lines with heat tolerant index higher than 90% or lower than 40% were selected to compare the phenotypic characters and further identify heat tolerance at the early milky stage in a phytotron.Rice lines with similar phenotypic characters but significantly differed in heat tolerance at the milky stage were analyzed by 887 simple sequence repeat markers that were evenly distributed on the 12 rice chromosomes.In the result,12(6 pairs) rice lines with similar phenotypic characters but significantly differed in heat tolerance at the milky stage were obtained.Molecular marker analysis indicated that the genomic polymorphism between 703T and 704S was the smallest in the 6 pairs of rice lines,with only 16 polymorphic sites,including 22 different alleles.The application of these two backcross introgression rice lines for future study on the mechanisms of heat tolerance in rice at the milky stage will be theoretically beneficial in reducing the interference caused by genetic differences from experimental materials.

Dissection of heterosis for yield and related traits using populations derived from introgression lines in rice

Despite the great success achieved by the exploitation of heterosis in rice,the genetic basis of heterosis is still not well understood.We adopted an advanced-backcross breeding strategy to dissect the genetic basis of heterosis for yield and eight related traits.Four testcross(TC) populations with 228 testcross F1 combinations were developed by crossing57 introgression lines with four types of widely used male sterile lines using a North Carolina II mating design.Analysis of variance indicated that the effects of testcross F1 combinations and their parents were significant or highly significant for most of the traits in both years,and all interaction effects with year were significant for most of the traits.Positive midparent heterosis(HMP) was observed for most traits in the four TC populations in the two years.The relative HMPlevels for most traits varied from highly negative to highly positive.Sixty-two dominant-effect QTL were identified for HMPof the nine traits in the four TC populations in the two years.Of these,22 QTL were also identified for the performance of testcross F1.Most dominant-effect QTL could individually explain more than 10% of the phenotypic variation.Four QTL clusters were observed including the region surrounding the RM9–RM297 region on chromosome 1,the RM110–RM279–RM8–RM5699–RM452 region on chromosome 2,the RM5463 locus on chromosome 6 and the RM1146–RM147 region on chromosome 10.The identified QTL for heterosis provide valuable information for dissecting the genetic basis of heterosis.

Analysis on Genomic Structure Changes and Diversity of Introgression Lines in Dongxiang Wild Rice(Oryza rufipogon Griff.)

[Objective] The aim of the study was to make research on genomic struc- ture variation and variety analysis of Dongxiang wild rice. [Method] Introgression groups of BC1F6 were based on donor of Oryza rufipogon Griff. and receptor of O. sativa sp. indica Kate. Strains of 239 in the group were analyzed on Polymor- phism with the help of 25 couples of SSR primers distributed in 12 pairs of chromo- somes. [Result] Gene fragments of O. rufipogon Griff. were found penetrated in the 25 microsatellite sites and most of the groups kept the parents of Xieqinzao B or DNA sequence of O. rufipogon Griff. The average rate of recurrent homozygous bands was 78.13% in the ILs, but the highest was 94.98% （amplified by primer RM131） and the lowest was 60.25% （RM171）. The average rate of donor homozy- gous bands was 13.37%, but the highest was 32.64% （RM171） and the lowest was 2.93% （RM1095）. There were numerous heterozygous sites in the population and the average heterozygosis rate was 5.62%, while the highest was 10.04%（RM401）. Moreover, we found some parental fragments were lost and some novel fragments were not detected in either parent in BC1F6 population. The average rate of lost bands was 2.88%, while the highest was 13.39% （RM311） and the lowest was 0 （RM401）. The average rate of new bands was 1%. The average of Nei＇s gene di- versity （He） and Shannon＇s Information index （I） were 0.276 and 0.457 respectively in high generation of introgression lines. [Conclusion] The study demonstrated that distant hybridization led to extensive genetic and epigenetic variations in high gener- ation of introgression lines, which expanded the base of genetic variation and laid an important foundation for rice improvement and germplasm innovation.

Genetic Dissection of Low Phosphorus Tolerance Related Traits Using Selected Introgression Lines in Rice

To dissect the genetic basis of low phosphorus tolerance （LPT）, 114 BC2F4 introgression lines （ILs） were developed from Shuhui 527 and Minghui 86 （recurrent parents）, and Yetuozai （donor parent）. The progenies were tested for 11 quantitative traits under three treatments including normal fertilization in normal soil （as control）, normal fertilization in barren soil and low phosphorus stress in barren soil in Langfang, Hebei Province, China. Moreover, the ILs were investigated at the seedling stage using nutrient solution culture method in greenhouse in Beijing, China. A total of 49 main-effect quantitative trait loci （QTLs） underlying yield related traits were identified in Langfang, and their contributions to phenotypic variations ranged from 6.7% to 16.5%. Among them, 25 （51.0%） QTLs had favorable alleles from donor parent. A total of 48 main-effect QTLs were identified for LPT-related traits in Beijing, and their contributions to phenotypic variations ranged from 7.7% to 16.6%. Among them, 21 （43.8%） QTLs had favorable alleles from donor parent. About 79.6% of the QTLs can be detected repeatedly under two or more treatments, especially QTLs associated with spikelet number per panicle, spikelet fertility and 1000-grain weight, displaying consistent phenotypic effects. Among all the detected QTLs, eight QTLs were simultaneously identified under low phosphorus stress across two environments. These results can provide useful information for the genetic dissection of LPT in rice.

Introgressions from Oryza rufipogon Increase Photosynthetic Efficiency of KMR3 Rice Lines

To understand the wild Oryza genome effect on photosynthesis and its relation to total dry matter accumulation in an elite rice variety, a set of 40 stable introgression lines(ILs) BC_3F_8 derived from a cross of Oryza sativa(KMR3) × Oryza rufipogon(WR120) were grown under well watered conditions. Leaf gas exchange measurements and leaf chlorophyll estimates were conducted at the flowering stage. The results revealed significant variations in net photosynthetic rate(Pn), transpiration rate(E), transpiration efficiency(Pn/E) and carboxylation efficiency(Pn/C_i). Pn showed significant positive correlation with E, stomatal conductance(g_s), Pn/C_i and total canopy dry matter. Specific leaf area and leaf thickness were not significantly correlated with Pn. Thirty-seven out of 40 ILs showed higher Pn than KMR3 [11.28 μmol/(m^2·s)], and 20 ILs showed higher Pn than WR120 [15.08 μmol/(m^2·s)]. The line IL194 showed the highest Pn [21.62 μmol/(m^2·s)] with increased total canopy dry matter followed by lines IL381, IL106, IL363-12, IL198, IL86-18 and IL50, which exhibited Pn above 18.0 μmol/(m^2·s). The ILs with enhanced Pn are a potential source for developing rice varieties and hybrids with higher biomass and yield.

Effect of high-molecular-weight glutenin subunit deletion on soft wheat quality properties and sugar-snap cookie quality estimated through near-isogenic lines

High-molecular-weight glutenin subunits（HMW-GSs） play a critical role in determining the viscoelastic properties of wheat dough. The HMW-GSs are encoded by Glu-A1, Glu-B1, and Glu-D1 loci on the long arms of chromosomes 1A, 1B, and 1D, respectively. In the present study, four near-isogenic lines with different HMW-GS deletions and compositions at the Glu-A1 and Glu-D1 loci in Yangmai 18 background were used for quality analysis. Deletion in Glu-D1 showed much weaker gluten quality and dough strength than null Glu-A1 genotype and wild genotype（WT）, based on the measurements of sodium dodecyl sulfate（SDS）-sedimentation, lactic acid solvent retention capacity（SRC）, gluten index, development time, stability time, and alveograph P and L values. The deletion of Glu-D1 did not significantly affect grain hardness, grain protein content, water SRC, sodium carbonate SRC, and sucrose SRC. Double null genotype in Glu-A1 and Glu-D1 and single null genotype in Glu-D1 showed significantly higher cookie diameter, crispness, and lower cookie height compared with single null genotype in Glu-A1 and WT. These indicate that the null Glu-D1 genotype is useful for improvement of biscuit quality, and use of this germplasm would be a viable strategy to develop new wheat varieties for biscuit processing.

Mapping a Novel Gene of Cold Tolerance at Booting Stage by Using Near-Isogenic Lines in japonica Rice

Genetic analysis showed that cold tolerance at booting stage of near-isogenic lines （NILs） of Kunmingxiaobaigu was controlled by a gene with large phenotypic variance. One hundred and sixty-four simple sequence repeats （SSR） distributed over 12 chromosomes were used to screen polymorphism between Towata （recurrent parent, RP） and near-isogenic line pool （NILP）, and two SSR markers at the long arm of chromosome 5 showed polymorphism in comparison with RP genome. Of the two markers, RM31 was found possibly linked with the cold tolerance gene at booting stage through one-way ANOVA. Twelve SSR markers around RM31 were then used to detect polymorphism between RP and NIL, and only RM7452 had polymorphism. The gene of cold tolerance at booting stage was further mapped on chromosome 5 between RM7452 and RM31 with genetic distances of 4.8 cM and 8.0 cM, respectively. This gene explained 10.50% of phenotypic variance and 5.10% of phenotypic variance of fully filled grains, and was tentatively designated as Ctb（t）.

Characterization of QTL for unique agronomic traits of new-plant-type rice varieties using introgression lines of IR64

To enhance the yield potential of an elite indica rice cultivar,an introgression(BC_3-derived) line of IR64,YTH288,was developed using a new-plant-type cultivar,IR66215-44-2-3,as a donor parent.YTH288 has agronomically valuable characteristics such as large panicles,few unproductive tillers,and large leaves inherited from NPT.To identify the genetic basis of these traits,we used 167 F_2 plants derived from a cross between IR64 and YTH288 to conduct QTL analysis for five agronomic traits:days to heading(DTH),culm length(CL),flag leaf length(FLL),flag leaf width(FLW),and filled spikelet number per panicle(FSN).Six putative QTL were detected:four on chromosome4(for CL,FLL,FLW,and FSN) and two on chromosome 2(for DTH and FLL).All QTL with the IR66215-44-2-3 allele,except that for FLL on chromosome 2,had positive effects on each trait.To confirm the effects of these putative QTL,we developed NILs with the IR64 genetic background by marker-assisted selection.We observed significant differences in several agronomic traits between IR64 and NILs that carried these QTL on chromosomes2 and 4.Additionally,four IR64-NILs carrying chromosomal segments derived from different NPT varieties on the long arm of chromosome 4 exhibited similar pleiotropic To enhance the yield potential of an elite indica rice cultivar, an introgression(BC3-derived) line of IR64, YTH288, was developed using a new-plant-type cultivar,IR66215-44-2-3, as a donor parent. YTH288 has agronomically valuable characteristics such as large panicles, few unproductive tillers, and large leaves inherited from NPT.To identify the genetic basis of these traits, we used 167 F2 plants derived from a cross between IR64 and YTH288 to conduct QTL analysis for five agronomic traits: days to heading(DTH), culm length(CL), flag leaf length(FLL), flag leaf width(FLW), and filled spikelet number per panicle(FSN). Six putative QTL were detected: four on chromosome4(for CL, FLL, FLW, and FSN) and two on chromosome 2(for DTH and FLL). All QTL with the IR66215-44-2-3 allele, except that for FLL on chromosome 2, had positive effects on each trait. To confirm the effects of these putative QTL, we developed NILs with the IR64 genetic background by marker-assisted selection. We observed significant differences in several agronomic traits between IR64 and NILs that carried these QTL on chromosomes2 and 4. Additionally, four IR64-NILs carrying chromosomal segments derived from different NPT varieties on the long arm of chromosome 4 exhibited similar pleiotropiceffects for unique agronomic traits. These NILs can be used as research materials for studying each trait and as breeding materials for yield improvement of indica rice cultivars.

Molecular characterization of LMW-GS genes from a somatic hybrid introgression line Ⅱ-12 between Triticum aestivum and Agropyron elongatum in relation to quick evolution

In order to exploit the evolution and find novel low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit （LMW-GS） for improvement of common wheat quality, thirteen variants from a somatic hybrid introgression line II-12 between Triticum aestivum cv. Jinan 177 （JN177） and Agropyron elongatum were characterized via genomic PCR. Four clones were pseudogenes because they contained an internal stop codon. The remaining nine variants contained intact open reading frames （ORFs）. Sequence alignment indicates that the proteins deduced from the nine ORFs have similar primary structure with LMW-GS cloned from its parents previously. However, they have some unique modifications in the structures. For example, EU292737 contains not only an extra Cys residue in the C-terminal domain but also a long repetitive domain. Both EU 159511 and EU292738 start their first Cys residue in the N-terminal repetitive domain, but not in the N-conserved domain traditionally. These structural alterations may have positive contributions to wheat flour quality. The results of phylogeny showed that most LMW-GS variances from 11-12 were homologous to those from parent JN177 and other wheat lines. The reason for quick evolution of LMW-GS in 11-12 was discussed.

Physiological Macro-lesions Enhanced Resistance to Blast (Magnaporthe grisea) in Rice Near-isogenic Lines

Roll-leaf-1 （rl-1） and spot-leaf-1 （spl-1） were two near-isogenic lines, which were obtained after 3 to 4 backcrosses with early season indica rice Zhefu 802 as recurrent parent. Henna macro-lesions, referred as physiological or morphological markers, began to appear on leaves at 4.5- to 6.0-leaf stage. The rice seedlings were inoculated at 3.5-, 5.0- and 7.0-leaf stages with high pathogenic races Zhong A1 and Zhong B1 of Magnaporthe grisea, respectively. The resistance of rl-1, spl-1 and Zhefu 802 against blast was significantly different. The seedlings of Zhefu 802 at 3.5- to 7.0-leaf stage were susceptible to races Zhong A1 and Zhong B1 of M. grisea, whereas those of rl-1 and spl-1 at 3.5-, 5.0- and 7.0-leaf stages were susceptible, moderately resistant and resistant, respectively. These results suggested that the enhanced resistance of rl-1 and spl-1 related to the appearance of their morphological marker lesions. The experiment provided a basis for studying lesion mimic and hypersensitive response in association with disease resistance.

Yield Traits and Associated Marker Segregation in Elite Introgression Lines Derived from O. sativa × O. nivara

Introgression lines(ILs)derived from interspecific crosses are a source of new genetic variability.A total of 55 ILs derived from two crosses Swarna×O.nivara IRGC81848(population A)and Swarna×O.nivara IRGC81832(population B)were characterized for yield and yield-related traits/QTLs.Segregation of 103 simple sequence repeat(SSR)markers associated with yield-related QTLs was studied.Population A showed an average of 12.6%homozygous O.nivara alleles and population B showed 10.6%.Interestingly,three SSR markers,RM223,RM128 and RM517,showed conspicuous pattern of segregation.The distribution of parental alleles at three loci RM223,RM128 and RM517 linked to yield-related traits was unique.These markers flanked to several yield-related QTLs.RM223,flanking to qyld8.3,was heterozygous in almost all the 55 ILs except in IL10-3S and IL131S.RM128 on chromosome 1 and RM517 on chromosome 3 were mutually exclusive in 46 out of 55 ILs.These 46 ILs showed either of the marker allele RM128 or RM517 from O.nivara but not both.IL166S had both RM128and RM517 from O.nivara and the other ILs showed homozygous Swarna allele at RM517 except IL65S.Population structure assigned the 55 ILs to three sub-populations based on their genomic diversity.IL65S,IL166S,IL248S,IL7K and IL250K showed high yields in multi-location trials,and IL248S was released for cultivation as DRRDhan 40.

Characterization of Newly Developed Wheat/Barley Introgression Lines in Respect of Aluminium Tolerance

The Al tolerance of newly developed wheat/barley disomic addition, substitution and translocation lines carry chromosomes of three different barley cultivars was evaluated by comparing the root growth in solution containing 75 μM AlCl3 at pH 4.0 to that of known Al-tolerant and sensitive wheat genotypes. The wheat Asakaze komugi, barley Manas cultivars and their hybrid derivatives were found to have high levels of Al tolerance. The wheat line Mv9kr1, barley cultivar Igri and progenies of the hybrids were sensitive to Al. In most cases, the Al tolerance of the wheat/barley introgression lines derived from Al-sensitive wheat Mv9kr1 and barley Betzes with moderate Al tolerance was similar to that of the wheat parents, but the 2DS.2DL-1HS translocation line of Mv9kr1/Betzes exhibited more intensive root growth, while accumulating less Al than the parental lines. This indicates that either the lack of the distal part of chromosome 2DL or the presence of the distal part of 1HS improved the Al tolerance level.

Preliminary Phenotypic and SNP-Based Molecular Characterization of Maize (<i>Zea mays</i>L.)-Mexicana (<i>Zea mays</i>SSP. <i>Mexicana</i>) Introgression Lines under Inbred Background of 48-2

Wild relatives possess potential genetic diversity for maize (Zea mays L.) improvement. Characterization of maize-mexicana introgression lines (ILs) is of great value to diversify the genetic base and improve the maize germplasm. Four maize-mexicana IL generations, i.e. BC1, BC2, BC3, and RIL, were constructed under the elite inbred background of 48-2, elite inbred line that is widely used in maize breeding in Southwestern China, and were phenotyped in different years and genotyped with 56110 SNPs. The results indicated that 48-2 had higher phenotypic performances than all the characterized ILs on most of the agronomic traits. Compared with other ILs, BC2 individuals exhibited more similar performance to 48-2 on most traits and possessed the highest kernel ratio (66.5%). Population structure and principal component analysis indicated that BC3 individuals gathered closer to 48-2 and exhibited the lowest mexicana-introgression frequency (0.50%), while BC2 (29.06%) and RIL (18.52%) showed higher introgression frequency. The high level of genetic diversity observed in the maize-mexicana ILs demonstrated that Z. mays ssp. mexicana can serve as a potential source for the enrichment of maize germplasm.

Breeding of near-isogenic japonica rice lines with three major genes for resistance to bacterial blight

From 1986 to 1993, a set of near-isogenic japonicarice Iines with three major genes Xα-3, Xα - 4,and Xα-12 for resistance to bacterial blight(Xan-thomonas oryzae pv.oryzae)were developed anddesignated as CBB3, CBB4, and CBB12 respective-

Introgression of Two Drought QTLs into FUNAABOR-2 Early Generation Backcross Progenies Under Drought Stress at Reproductive Stage

FUNAABOR-2 is a popular Ofada rice variety grown in a large area under rainfed upland condition across western states of Nigeria. We used the combination of phenotypic and marker-assisted selection(MAS) to improve grain yield of FUNAABOR-2 under drought stress(DS) at the reproductive stage via introgression of two drought quantitative trait loci(QTLs), qDTY12.1 and qDTY2.3. Foreground selection was carried out using peak markers RM511 and RM250, associated with qDTY12.1 and qDTY2.3, respectively, followed by recombinant selection with RM28099 and RM1261 distally flanking qDTY12.1. Furthermore, BC1 F2-derived introgressed lines and their parents were evaluated under DS and non-stress(NS) conditions during the 2015–2016 dry season. Overall reduction of grain yield under DS compared to NS was recorded. Introgressed lines with qDTY12.1 and qDTY2.3 combinations showed higher yield potential compared to lines with single or no QTL under DS, indicating significant positive interactions between the two QTLs under the FUNAABOR-2 genetic background. Pyramiding of qDTY12.1 and qDTY2.3 in the FUNAABOR-2 genetic background led to higher grain yield production under DS and NS.

Detection of Drought-Related Loci in Rice at Reproductive Stage Using Selected Introgressed Lines

The present study was carried out to illustrate high-efficient detection of quantitative trait loci （QTLs） with selected introgression lines （ILs） and the existence of ＇hidden genes＇ conferring drought tolerance （DT）. 52 selected DT ILs, derived from BC2Fz population developed by crossing and backcrossing the susceptible recurrent parent （RP） IR64 with the susceptible donor Khazar were planted under irrigation and drought condition. Four important agronomic traits, e.g., grain yield （GY）, heading date （HD）, panicle numbers per plant （PN）, and plant height （PH） were evaluated and 83 SSR polymorphic molecular markers were used for genotypic analysis. Chi-square test based on genetic hitch-hiking and one-way analysis of variances （ANOVA） were used to detect drought-related loci. Nine and 36 loci were detected by chi-square test and one-way ANOVA, respectively. Five common loci were observed by comparing the results of the two methods, among which two QTLs linked with RM7, and RM241 were detected under irrigation condition, both of the favorable alleles were from RP and explained 13% phenotypic variation （PV） for GY and 28% PV for PH, respectively. The other three QTLs linked with RM 163, RM 18, and RM270 were detected under drought condition, the favorable alleles were all from the donor and explained 10, 24, and 19% PV for HD, PH, and PH, respectively. Five common loci were observed by comparing the results of chi-square test and one-way ANOVA including two QTLs （one for GY and one for PH） under irrigation condition and three QTLs （one for HD and two for PH） under drought condition. By combining phenotypic and genotypic analysis, drought escape could be inferred as the main mechanism for drought tolerance in the present study. The results in present study suggested that the selected ILs population analyzed by chi-square test and one-way ANOVA was quite effective for DT QTL detection with low inputs and could also produce useful materials for breeding with wide genetic diversity for drought tolerance.

Breeding by selective introgression: Theory, practices, and lessons learned from rice

Future demands for increased productivity and resilience to abiotic/biotic stresses of major crops require new technologies of breeding by design(BBD)built on massive information from functional and population genomics research.A novel strategy of breeding by selective introgression(BBSI)has been proposed and practiced for simultaneous improvement,genetic dissection and allele mining of complex traits to realize BBD.BBSI has three phases:a)developing large numbers of trait-specific introgression lines(ILs)using backcross breeding in elite genetic backgrounds as the material platform of BBD;b)efficiently identifying genes or quantitative trait loci(QTL)and mining desirable alleles affecting different target traits from diverse donors as the information platform of BBD;and c)developing superior cultivars by BBD using designed QTL pyramiding or marker-assisted recurrent selection.Phase(a)has been implemented massively in rice by many Chinese research institutions and IRRI,resulting in the development of many new green super rice cultivars plus large numbers of ILs in 30+elite genetic backgrounds.Phase(b)has been demonstrated in a series of proof-of-concept studies of high-efficiency genetic dissection of rice yield and tolerance to abiotic stresses using ILs and DNA markers.Phase(c)has also been implemented by designed QTL pyramiding,resulting in a prototype of BBD in several successful cases.The BBSI strategy can be easily extended for simultaneous trait improvement,efficient gene and QTL discovery and allele mining of complex traits using advanced breeding lines from crosses between a common"backbone"parent and a set of elite parents in conventional pedigree breeding programs.BBSI can be relatively easily adopted by breeding programs with small budgets,but the BBSI-based BBD strategy can be fully and more efficiently implemented by large seed companies with sufficient capacity.