Genome-Wide Association Analysis Unravels New Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) for Eight Lodging Resistance Constituent Traits in Rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Lodging poses a significant challenge to rice yield, prompting the need to identify elite alleles for lodging resistance traits to improve cultivated rice varieties. In this study, a natural population of 518 rice accessions was examined to identify elite alleles associated with plant height (PH), stem diameter (SD), stem anti-thrust (AT/S), and various internode lengths (first (FirINL), second (SecINL), third (ThirINL), fourth (ForINL), and fifth (FifINL) internode lengths). A total of 262 SSR markers linked to these traits were uncovered through association mapping in two environmental conditions. Phenotypic evaluations revealed striking differences among cultivars, and genetic diversity assessments showed polymorphisms across the accessions. Favorable alleles were identified for PH, SD, AT/S, and one to five internode lengths, with specific alleles displaying considerable effects. Noteworthy alleles include RM6811-160 bp on chromosome 6 (which reduces PH) and RM161-145 bp on chromosome 5 (which increases SD). The study identified a total of 42 novel QTLs. Specifically, seven QTLs were identified for PH, four for SD, five for AT/S, five for FirINL, six for SecINL, five for ThirINL, six for ForINL, and four for FifINL. QTLs qAT/S-2, qPH2.1, qForINL2.1, and qFifINL exhibited the most significant phenotypic variance (PVE) of 3.99% for the stem lodging trait. AT/S, PH, ForINL, and FifINL had additive effects of 5.31 kPa, 5.42 cm, 4.27 cm, and 4.27 cm, respectively, offering insights into eight distinct cross-combinations for enhancing each trait. This research suggests the potential for crossbreeding superior parents based on stacked alleles, promising improved rice cultivars with enhanced lodging resistance to meet market demands.

Detection of QTLs for Plant Height Architecture Traits in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) by Association Mapping and the RSTEP-LRT Method.

Plant height (PH) and its component traits are critical determinants of lodging resistance and strongly influence yield in rice. The genetic architecture of PH and its component traits were mined in two mapping populations. In the natural population composed of 504 accessions, a total of forty simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers associated with PH and its component traits were detected across two environments via association mapping. Allele RM305-210 bp on chromosome 5 for PH had the largest phenotypic effect value (PEV) (-51.42 cm) with a reducing effect. Allele RM3533-220 bp on chromosome 9 for panicle length and allele RM264-120 bp on chromosome 8 for the length of upper first elongated internode (1IN) showed the highest positive PEV. Among the elongated internodes with negative effects being desirable, the allele RM348-130 bp showed the largest PEV (-7.48 cm) for the length of upper second elongated internode. In the chromosome segment substitution line population consisting of 53 lines, a total of nine QTLs were detected across two environments, with the phenotypic variance explained (PVE) ranging 10.07-28.42%. Among the detected QTLs, q1IN-7 explained the largest PVE (28.42%) for the 1IN, with an additive of 5.31 cm. The favorable allele RM257-125 bp on chromosome 9 for the 1IN increasing was detected in both populations. The favorable alleles provided here could be used to shape PH architecture against lodging.

Mining of favorable alleles for lodging resistance traits in rice (oryza sativa) through association mapping.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Fourteen new quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and ten favorable alleles were identified for lodging resistance traits in a natural population of rice. Parental combinations were designed to improve lodging resistance. Lodging is one of the most critical constraints to rice yield, and therefore, mining favorable alleles for lodging resistance traits is imperative for the advancement of cultivated rice and selection for market demand. This investigation was performed on a selected sample of 521 rice cultivars using 262 SSR markers in 2016 and 2017. Lodging resistance traits were evaluated by plant height (PH), stem length (SL), stem diameter (SD), anti-thrust per stem (AT/S), and stem index (SI), with AT/S, used as the lodging resistance index. A genome-wide association map was generated by combining phenotypic and genotypic data. Eight subpopulations were found by structure software, and the linkage disequilibrium (LD) ranged from 30 to 80 cM. Identification of 68 marker-trait associations (MTAs) linking in 64 SSR markers for five traits was done. QTL were detected, including 15 for PH, 14 for SL, 14 for SD, 7 for AT/S, and 18 for SI. A number of favorable alleles were also discovered, including 22, 24, 19, 12, and 28 alleles for PH, SL, SD, AT/S, and SI, respectively. These favorable alleles might be used to design parental combinations, and the predictable results found by relieving the favorable alleles per QTL. The accessions containing favorable alleles for lodging resistant traits mined in this study could be useful for breeding superior rice cultivars.

Favorable Marker Alleles for Panicle Exsertion Length in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Mined by Association Mapping and the RSTEP-LRT Method.

The panicle exsertion length (PEL) in rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important trait for hybrid seed production. We investigated the PEL in a chromosome segment substitution line (CSSL) population consisting of 66 lines and a natural population composed of 540 varieties. In the CSSL population, a total of seven QTLs for PEL were detected across two environments. The percentage of phenotypic variance explained (PVE) ranged from 10.22 to 50.18%, and the additive effect ranged from -1.77 to 6.47 cm. Among the seven QTLs, qPEL10.2 had the largest PVE, 44.05 and 50.18%, with an additive effect of 5.91 and 6.47 cm in 2015 and in 2016, respectively. In the natural population, 13 SSR marker loci were detected that were associated with PEL in all four environments, with the PVE ranging from 1.20 to 6.26%. Among the 13 loci, 7 were novel. The RM5746-170 bp allele had the largest phenotypic effect (5.11 cm), and the typical carrier variety was Qiaobinghuang. An RM5620-RM6100 region harboring the EUI2 locus on chromosome 10 was detected in both populations. The sequencing results showed that the accessions with a shorter PEL contained the A base, while the accessions with a longer PEL contained the G base at the 1,475 bp location of the EUI2 gene.