Marker-trait association analysis for agronomic and compositional traits in sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia)

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) is a perennial forage legume with great potential for use in sustainable agriculture due to its low input requirements, good drought tolerance, and production of forage rich in polyphenolic compounds, which are beneficial for animal health. However, its distribution and cultivation are limited due to its moderate agronomic performance and a general lack of well adapted, highly yielding cultivars. Faster progress in breeding is imperative, but is often hampered by the complex inheritance of traits and limited knowledge on the genetic composition of this tetraploid, outbreeding species. Molecular genetic tools might aid phenotypic selection; however, to date no information on marker-trait associations is available for sainfoin. Hence, the goal of the present study was to detect marker- trait associations in a biparental F 1 population. Single plants were screened for recently developed genetic markers and phenotyped for important agronomic traits and concentrations of different polyphenolic compounds. Significant trait-associated markers (TAM) were detected for plant height (11), plant vigor (1), and seed yield (7). These three traits were positively correlated with each other and shared some TAMs. Correlations among markers suggested that two independent loci control these three vigor-related traits. One additional, independent TAM was detected for the share of prodelphinidins in total condensed tannins. Our results provide insight into the genetic control of important traits of sainfoin, and the TAMs reported here could assist selection in combination with phenotypic assessment.

Benefits of Condensed Tannins in Forage Legumes Fed to Ruminants: Importance of Structure, Concentration, and Diet Composition

“…These are necessary to harness the potential benefits of CTs, and for breeding of new varieties with improved agronomic, nutritional, and antiparasitic traits. The European and Asian sainfoin germplasm is very diverse in terms of morphology, anatomy, drought resistance, CT traits, and genetic polymorphism (Hayot Carbonero, 2011;Zarrabian et al, 2013;Malisch et al, 2015Malisch et al, , 2016Mora-Ortiz, 2015;Kempf et al, 2016Kempf et al, , 2017Kölliker et al, 2017). For example, anatomical trait analysis (xylem/phloem ratio, vessel and sieve tube diameters, and phloem width) suggested that large differences exist in water and solute transport mechanisms between accessions, which are important for drought resistance (Zarrabian et al, 2013).…”

“…They were used to study inbreeding and self-fertilization in sainfoin. In a pilot study, one marker locus was identified that could explain up to 12% of the variation in CT composition (i.e., PC/PD ratio; Kempf et al, 2017). We anticipate that the sequence and molecular marker information now available (Kempf et al, 2016; can be used to assist breeding of novel sainfoin cultivars with CT traits that are optimized for animal nutrition and health.…”

Onobrychis viciifolia; a comprehensive literature review of its history, etymology, taxonomy, genetics, agronomy and botany

“…Sainfoin has over a 2-meter-long taproot in mature plants, partly responsible for its drought tolerance. The root is quite branched, especially at the bottom and multiples of thin lateral roots constitute the bulk of the root system (Hayot Carbonero, 2011b; Kempf, 2016; Mora-Ortiz and Smith, 2016). Roots have often been measured at more than 2 m and in dry conditions over 3 m. The Sainfoin root systems rival Lucerne for its ability to access water in the lower soil horizons (personal communication, Beat Boller, ETH, 2011)…”

Marker-trait association analysis for drought tolerance in smooth bromegrass

“…A promising strategy to facilitate selection and breeding for drought tolerance is marker-assisted selection (MAS) to identify genetic markers linked to the traits related to drought tolerance. The basic prerequisite for MAS is the availability of markers that are tightly linked to genes or quantitative trait loci (QTLs) which can be used to select for traits that are difficult to measure or dependent on the developmental stage [6,7].…”