BackgroundImproved eating quality is a major breeding target in japonica rice due to market demand. Consequently, quantitative trait loci (QTL) for glossiness of cooked rice and amylose content associated with eating quality have received much research focus because of their importance in rice quality.ResultsIn this study, QTL associated with 12 grain quality traits were identified using 96 introgression lines (IL) of rice developed from an interspecific cross between the Korean elite O. sativa japonica cultivar ‘Hwaseong’ and O. rufipogon over 7 years. QTL analyses indicated that QTL qDTH6 for heading date, detected on chromosome 6 is associated with variance in grain traits. Most QTLs detected in this study clustered near the qDTH6 locus on chromosome 6, suggesting the effect of qDTH6. O. rufipogon alleles negatively affected grain quality traits except for a few QTLs, including qGCR9 for glossiness of cooked rice on chromosome 9. To characterize the effect of the O. rufipogon locus harboring qGCR9, four lines with a single but different O. rufipogon segment near qGCR9 were compared to Hwaseong. Three lines (O. rufipopgon ILs) having O. rufipogon segment between RM242 and RM245 in common showed higher glossiness of cooked rice than Hwaseong and the other line (Hwaseong IL), indicating that qGCR9 is located in the 3.4-Mb region between RM242 and RM245. Higher glossiness of cooked rice conferred by the O. rufipogon allele might be associated with protein content considering that three lines had lower protein content than Hwaseong (P < 0.1). These three O. rufipogon ILs showed higher yield than Hwaseong and Hwaseong IL due to increase in spikelets per panicle and grain weight indicating the linkage of qGCR9 and yield component QTLs.ConclusionThe qGCR9 locus is of particular interest because of its independence from other undesirable grain quality traits in O. rufipogon. SSR markers linked to qGCR9 can be used to develop high-quality japonica lines and offer a starting point for map-based cloning of genes underlying this trait. To our knowledge, this is the first report to map a beneficial QTL for glossiness of cooked rice from a wild rice, O. rufipogon.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12284-016-0135-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

: Low-temperature germination is one of the major determinants for stable stand establishment in the rice direct seeding method in temperate regions and at high altitude areas. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling low-temperature germinability in rice were identified using 96 introgression lines (ILs) derived from a cross between Oryza rufipogon and the Korean japonica cultivar, 'Hwaseongbyeo'. The germination rate at 15℃ was measured to represent low-temperature germination and used for QTL analysis. The germination rate at 15℃ for 7 days of Oryza rufipogon and Hwaseongbyeo was 93.3 and 28.7%, respectively, and that of progenies ranged from 0 to 48%. A linkage map was constructed using 135 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Five putative QTLs associated with low-temperature germination were detected on chromosomes 1, 3, 4, 10 and 11. The QTL, qltg10 on chromosome 10 accounted for 19.2% of the total phenotypic variation for low-temperature germinability. Four additional QTL, accounted for 10.4 -15.1% of the total phenotypic variation. The O. rufipogon alleles in all detected QTLs loci increased the low-temperature germination rate. No QTL associated with low temperature germinability has been detected near the qltg10 QTL in this study suggesting that qltg10 is a new QTL. The locus, qltg10 is of particular interest because of its independence from undesirable height and maturity effects. The DNA markers linked to the QTL for low temperature germinability would be useful in selecting lines with enhanced low temperature germinability in rice breeding program.

A quantitative trait locus (QTL) gw8.1 was detected in the population derived from a cross between the elite japonica cultivar, 'Hwaseong' and Oryza rufipogon (IRGC 105491). Near isogenic lines (NILs) harboring the O. rufipogon segment on chromosome 8 showed increased grain length and weight compared to those of the recurrent parent, Hwaseong. This QTL was mapped to a 175.3-kb region containing 28 genes, of which four were considered as candidates based on the presence of mutations in their coding regions and as per the RNA expression pattern during the inflorescence stage. Leaves and panicles obtained from plants harvested 5 days after heading showed differences in gene expression between Hwaseong and gw8.1-NILs. Most genes were upregulated in O. rufipogon and gw8.1-NIL than in Hwaseong. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of the lemma inner epidermal cells indicated that cell length was higher in gw8.1 NIL than in Hwaseong, indicating that gw8.1 might regulate cell elongation. Among the candidate genes, LOC_Os08g34380 encoding a putative receptor-like kinase and LOC_Os08g34550 encoding putative RING-H2 finger protein were considered as possible candidates based on their functional similarity.

: This study was conducted to know the variation and relationship of rice grain quality and starch pasting properties by transplanting times. Two early maturing rice cultivars which accounted for the most area of early maturing rice cultivar in Chungnam province were used. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with 3 replications. The main plot consisted of three transplanting times viz. early (April 25), ordinary (May 25) and late (June 25) with sub-plots containing two cultivars. According to the transplanting times, most of rice grain quality and starch pasting properties showed significant difference and Joami showed higher grain quality than Unkwang in all transplanting times. Especially, rice grain quality was improved when transplanted late, showing high head rice and glossiness of cooked rice due to the lower mean temperature during grain filling stage. Glossiness of cooked rice was positively correlated with head rice ratio, amylose content and setback value, and negatively correlated with chalky rice ratio and protein content. The highest positive and negative correlation were observed between breakdown value and peak viscosity (r = 0.98**), and breakdown and setback (r = -0.94**), respectively. These results provide some information for rice researchers and producers producing cultivars with an improved quality, suggesting that rice quality is highly influenced by temperature at grain filling stage, and transplanting times is crucial in improving rice quality. In addition, starch pasting properties are useful for determining rice quality because rice grain quality and starch pasting properties are dependent on each other.

Bbareumi' is an extremely early maturing rice cultivar with the fastest harvesting time in Korea. To develop 'Bbareumi', 'Joami' with good quality in Chungnam plain area and 'Hokuto' originating from Japan with the fastest heading date among genetic resources were used as breeding materials. After crossing them in 2010, the 'Bbareumi' cultivar was developed using the pedigree method. A yield trial was conducted from 2015 to 2016, and a local adaptability test was conducted from 2016 to 2018. The heading date of 'Bbareumi' was seven days earlier than 'Jinbuolbyeo', showing an average of June 23 rd , and it could be harvested from the end of July to the beginning of August when transplanted early in Chungnam plain area. 'Bbareumi' had a short culm length of 63.3 cm and panicle length of 19.3 cm. Milled rice yield was approximately 4.87 MT/ha and the percentage of head rice was 89.2% under normal fertilizer condition. 'Bbareumi' will be used as a premium rice brand with newly harvested rice before 'Chooseok', Korean Thanksgiving Day and is expected to contribute to the revitalization of double-cropping in the Chungnam plain area (Registration No. 8130).