Molecular Markers Associated with Water Use Efficiency and Leaf Ash in Soybean

Abstract

Water use efficiency (WUE) is an important trait that has been associated with drought tolerance of crop plants, and leaf ash (LASH) generally related to WUE. A restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) map was constructed from a soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] population of 120 F4-derived lines from a cross of'Young' × P1416937. The purpose of this research was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with WUE and LASH in 36-d-old, greenhouse-grown plants. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with six replications. Significant (P < 0.01) phenotypic differences were detected among the lines for both traits. A total of four and six independent RFLP markers were associated with WUE and LASH and if combined each group of markers would explain 38 and 53% of the variability in the respective traits. One marker locus (cr497-1), on USDA Linkage Group J, explained 13.2% of the variation in WUE indicating the presence of a major QTL. The LASH was negatively correlated with WUE (r = -0.40"*), and two QTL were associated with both WUE and LASH. For each of these QTL, the allele for increased WUE was associated with reduced LASH.

Detecting quantitative trait loci for water use efficiency in rice using a recombinant inbred line population

“…This region is adjacent to RM339-RM342, where DRI and CT (canopy temperature)-related QTLs [20] and RGDD-related QTL are positioned [21]. One QTL controlling kernelw/d was located on Chr4 and this region neighbors the region (RM142-RM119) where one QTL controlling kernelw is positioned.…”

“…The QTL with the largest additive effect was from aus rice and was colocalized with QTLs for leaf length, tiller number, and nitrogen content [8]. Mian et al [20] conducted QTL mapping on the WUE of beans with 120 F 4 lines from the cross Young × PI416937 and detected four QTLs accounting for 38% of phenotypic variation.…”

Advances and prospects: Biotechnologically improving crop water use efficiency

“…There are reports of work with Triticum aesvum L. (Zhang, 1998;Richards et al, 2002;Sheshshayee et al, 2003;Tuberosa, 2003Tuberosa, , 2005, Triticum vulgare L. (Handley et al, 1994;Teulat et al, 2002;Ellis et al, 2002;Molnar et al, 2007), Oryza sativa L. (Fischer et al, 2003), Zea mays L. (Banziger et al, 2000), Gossypium spp. (Warwick et al, 2005;Saranga et al, 2001), Glycine max L. (Mian et al, 1996(Mian et al, , 1998, Lycopersicum esculentum Mill (Martin et al, 1989;Lin et al, 2002), and Brassica oleracea (Hall et al, 2005). Compared with other methods for saving water, breeding new crop varieties with a high yield and WUE as well as drought-resistance has the following merits: less investment by the grower, greater uptake through low costs of technology transfer, sustainable efficiency; and more potential exploitation.…”

“…This response would depend on the maintenance of constant concentration of minerals in the transpiration stream. Mian et al, (1996) combined leaf ash and RFLP technologies to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with WUE in soybean. They found that six RFLP markers were associated with WUE p , of the six, one is on LG15 (G), two are on LG17 (H), and three are on LG 18(J); marker cr497-1 (LG18) explained the largest amount of variation (13.2%) of all markers, and the parent "Young" allele at this locus contributes to the greater WUE of progeny lines.…”

Soybean Genomics: Efforts to Reveal the Complex Genome

“…Responses to environmental stresses including salt tolerance (Guo et al 1998, Qin et al 2000, iron deficiency , Lin et al 1998, water use efficiency (Mian et al 1996) and chlorimuron ethyl sensitivity (Mian et al 1997) were genetically analyzed.…”