Genetic variability of faba bean genotypes for chocolate spot (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Botrytis fabae</Emphasis>) resistance and yield

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) has high utility as a food and soil fertility improving crop. One of the major fungal pathogens of faba bean is Botrytis fabae, the causative agent of chocolate spot. The disease affects significantly the leaf, stem, pod and seed of faba bean compromise its productivity in the smallholder farming sector. Nonetheless, there are limited resistant/tolerant faba bean varieties available and disease control technology options. Therefore, it was prudent to evaluate faba bean landraces for chocolate spot resistance. Fifty landraces together with ten improved varieties were evaluated both in the field and in the greenhouse under natural and artificial inoculation with previously selected aggressive Botrytis fabae isolate (Iso-016) from West Gojjam, in Ethiopia. There were highly significant differences (p?<?0.001) among the landraces for reaction to the disease and agronomic traits. Significant positive correlation was recorded between reaction of genotypes in the field and greenhouse disease data. The overall mean disease epidemics varied from 92.5 to 697.5 for the area under disease progress curve (AUDPC). The highest level of resistance was found in the ICARDA lines, ILB-4726, ILB-938 and BPL-710. Of all 18 landrace collections displayed significantly lower disease reaction than the susceptible check. However the resistance was moderate. The selected eighteen landraces will be recommended for use in breeding for chocolate resistance. Overall, resistance was highly heritable, suggesting that phenotypic selection can be exploited to improve chocolate spot resistance in faba bean varieties.     

Rapid identification of a major effect QTL conferring adult plant resistance to stripe rust in wheat cultivar Yaco“S”

Stripe rust is a devastating disease in common wheat (Triticum aestivum) worldwide. Growing cultivars with adult-plant resistance (APR) is an environmental friendly approach that provides long-term protection to wheat from this disease. Wheat cultivar Yaco“S” showed a high level of APR to stripe rust in the field from 2008 to 2014. The objective of this study was to detect the major quantitative trait loci (QTL) for APR to stripe rust in Yaco“S”. One hundred and eighty-four F_2:3 lines were developed from a cross between Yaco“S” and susceptible cultivar Mingxian169. Illumina 90K and 660K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chips were implemented to bulked pools and their parents to identify SNPs associated with the major QTL. A high-density linkage map was constructed using simple sequence repeat (SSR) and SNP markers. Inclusive composite interval mapping detected a major effect QTL Qyryac.nwafu-2BS conferring stable resistance to stripe rust in all tested environments. Qyryac.nwafu-2BS were mapped to a 1.3 cm interval and explained 17.3–51.9% of the phenotypic variation. Compared with stripe rust resistance genes previously mapped to chromosome 2B, Qyryac.nwafu-2BS is likely a new APR gene to stripe rust. Combining SNP iSelect assay and kompetitive allele specific PCR technology, we found that the APR gene could be rapidly and accurately mapped and it is useful for improving stripe rust resistance in wheat breeding.     

Evaluating the contribution of Yr genes to stripe rust resistance breeding through marker-assisted detection in wheat

Numerous stripe rust resistance genes have been identified from wheat, and new virulent races of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici have also emerged in recent years. Deployment of diverse combinations of resistance genes is an efficient way to combat virulent evolution of strip rust pathogen. In this study, publically available molecular markers were used to identify the distribution of 36 Yr genes in 672 wheat accessions. The effectiveness of Yr genes individually and in combinations was also evaluated in field conditions. The result showed effective resistance of some recently applied genes, such as Yr15 and Yr65. It also showed the lost efficacy of some once widely used genes, such as Yr9 and Yr10. Moreover, significant additive effects were observed in some gene combinations, such as Yr9 + Yr18 and Yr30 + Yr46. Proper deploying of Yr genes and utilizing the positive interactions will be helpful for durable resistance breeding in wheat.     

Reaction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phaseolus</Emphasis> spp. genotypes to ashy stem blight caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Macrophomina phaseolina</Emphasis>

Ashy stem blight (ASB) caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goidanich (Mp) is a devastating seed-transmitted disease in common bean in the tropics. The identification of resistant cultivars throughout the cropping season contributes to disease management. Resistance is found in the primary and tertiary gene pools. Our objectives were to determine (1) the reaction of Phaseolus spp. genotypes to two Mp isolates at vegetative and reproductive stages, (2) the area under disease progress curve (AUDPC), and (3) resistant plants per genotype at harvest. Twenty-three genotypes from different origins were planted in the greenhouse in 2016 and 2017. One less-aggressive Mp (PRJD16) and one more-aggressive (PRI16) isolate were inoculated one and three times, respectively, by the cut-stem method. ‘Beníquez’, ‘Othello’, and ‘Verano’ were highly susceptible (mean scores >8.0, and AUDPC values from 264.6 to 300.8) to both isolates. BAT 477 and NY6020-4 were intermediate (5.6 and 6.2; AUDPC: 161.6 and 187.1) to PRJD16 and susceptible (7.4 and 8.2; AUDPC: 209.4 and 235.1) to PRI16. Resistant genotypes (mean scores ≤3) were not identified in this study. However, A 195, ‘Badillo’, and ‘PC 50’ possessed lower mean scores (4.3–5.4) and AUDPC values (126.4–150.9) to both isolates. Furthermore, A 195 had the highest percentage of resistant plants (55.6%) followed by PC 50, I9365-31, and PI 321637 (27.8%) to PRJD16 at harvest. Thus, the identification of resistant parents across Phaseolus species is necessary to increase the levels of ASB resistance in common bean cultivars throughout the entire cropping season.     

Developing and validating microsatellite markers in elephant grass (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pennisetum purpureum</Emphasis> S.)

Elephant grass [Pennisetum purpureum S.; syn. Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone] is an important global forage crop and is recognized for high yields of herbage with good nutritive value. It also has high biomass potential to be utilized as a biofuel feedstock. Whereas several previous genetic studies adapted simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers from pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.] for investigations in elephant grass, the present study developed SSR markers from 3536 DNA sequences derived from 16 elephant grass entries. A total of 3866 SSRs were identified including 1028 monomeric, 2019 dimeric, 735 trimeric, 49 tetrameric, 20 pentameric and 15 hexameric repeat motifs. Three hundred and seven sequences contained more than one repeated motif, and 154 SSRs were present in compound formation. Susequenctly,  four elephant grass and two pearl millet genotypes were chosen to validate 727 SSR markers. Of these, 628 markers produced visually detectable amplification products, including 73 (11.6%) polymorphic ones across all six genotypes. Polymorphism between the four elephant grass genotypes was revealed by 316 (50.6%) markers with diversity index values ranging from 0.75 to 0.38. Dimeric SSRs had the highest polymorphic rate (48.7%). These validated SSR markers had 58.6% (368 of 628) transferability rate to pearl millet. The availability of these polymorphic SSR markers will support advanced genetic studies in P. purpureum and its relatives.     

Characterization of the resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phytophthora infestans</Emphasis> in local potato cultivars in Bolivia

This experiment was carried out to investigate whether and how much field resistance to late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is present in the local cultivated potato germplasm. In total 36 entries were compared in a field experiment in an area highly conducive to late blight development. Of the 36 cultivars 32 were local cultivars belonging to five Solanum species, S. tuberosum (1 accession), S. andigena (18), S. juzepczukii (2), S. stenotomum (9) and S. ajanhuiri (2). The other four cultivars were derived from breeding programmes, one being the Dutch cultivar Alpha used as a highly susceptible control. The 36 cultivars were planted according to a simple 6 × 6 lattice design with three replicates. Each replicate was divided in six incomplete blocks each with six cultivars. The disease severity was assessed weekly during 9 weeks starting 48 days after planting. The area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) was used as a measure of the field resistance. Nine isolates from surrounding potato fields were tested for their virulence to the resistance genes R1–R11 using 22 differential cultivars. The components of the field resistance of 19 of these cultivars were compared in the greenhouse using a local isolate with virulence to all known R-genes, except to R9. The nine isolates represented seven races with a race complexity varying from 7 to 10 virulence factors. All isolates carried virulence against R1, R2, R3, R7, R10 and R11, while virulence against R9 was absent. The AUDPC among the 32 local cultivars ranged from very large, significantly larger than that of ‘Alpha’ to very small. The AUDPC from S. stenotomum accessions ranged from very large to intermediate, those from S. andigena accessions from large to very small. Especially among the S. andigena accessions interesting levels of field resistance were found. Four components of field resistance were assessed, latency period (LP), lesion size (LS), lesion growth rate (LGR) and relative sporulation area (RSA). All four showed a considerable variation among the cultivars. The LP ranged from 3½ to 6 days. The LS ranged from 225 mm² to 20 mm². The LGR varied about six-fold, the RSA more than 10-fold. The components tended to vary in association with one another. LP and LGR were well associated with each other and had a significant correlation with the AUDPC.     

Genetic mapping of resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Puccinia hordei</Emphasis> in three barley doubled-haploid populations

The success of breeding for barley leaf rust (BLR) resistance relies on regular discovery, characterization and mapping of new resistance sources. Greenhouse and field studies revealed that the barley cultivars Baronesse, Patty and RAH1995 carry good levels of adult plant resistance (APR) to BLR. Doubled haploid populations [(Baronesse/Stirling (B/S), Patty/Tallon (P/T) and RAH1995/Baudin (R/B)] were investigated in this study to understand inheritance and map resistance to BLR. The seedlings of two populations (B/S and R/B) segregated for leaf rust response that conformed to a single gene ratio (\({\text{X}}_{1:1}^{2}\) = 0.12, P > 0.7 for B/S and \({\text{X}}_{1:1}^{2}\) = 0.34, P > 0.5 for R/B) whereas seedlings of third population (P/T) segregated for two-gene ratio (\({\text{X}}_{1:1}^{2}\) = 0.17, P > 0.6) when tested in greenhouse. It was concluded that the single gene in Baudin and one of the two genes in Tallon is likely Rph12, whereas gene responsible for seedling resistance in Stirling is Rph9.am (allele of Rph12). The second seedling gene in Tallon is uncharacterized. In the field, APR was noted in lines that were susceptible as seedlings. A range of disease responses (CI 5–90) was observed in all three populations. Marker trait association analysis detected three QTLs each in populations B/S (QRph.sun-2H.1, QRph.sun-5H.1 and QRph.sun-6H.1) and R/B (QRph.sun-1H, QRph.sun-2H.2, QRph.sun-3H and QRph.sun-6H.2), and four QTLs in population P/T (QRph.sun-6H.2, QRph.sun-1H.2, QRph.sun-5H.2 and QRph.sun-7H) that significantly contributed to low leaf rust disease coefficients. High frequency of QRph. sun-5H.1, QRph. sun-6H.1, QRph. sun-1H.1, QRph. sun-2H.2, QRph. sun-6H.2, QRph. sun-7H (based on presence of the marker, closely associated to the respective QTLs) was observed in international commercial barley germplasm and hence providing an opportunity for rapid integration into breeding programmes. The identified candidate markers closely linked to these QTLs will assist in selecting and assembling new APR gene combinations; expectantly this will help in achieving good levels of durable resistance for controlling BLR.     

The Híbrido de Timor germplasm: identification of molecular diversity and resistance sources to coffee berry disease and leaf rust

The main phytosanitary problems affecting global coffee production are the fungal diseases known as rust, caused by Hemileia vastatrix Berkeley and Broome, and coffee berry disease (CBD), induced by Colletotrichum kahawae Waller and Bridge. The main disease control strategy is the use of resistant coffee cultivars. Híbrido de Timor is the most important source of resistant varieties used in breeding programs worldwide. The objective of this work was to characterize the diversity and disease resistance of 152 HdT genotypes from the germplasm collection at the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV). Accessions were phenotyped with H. vastatrix races II and XXXIII. Molecular analysis was carried out with 29 random microsatellite markers or single sequence repeats (SSRs), and two SSRs associated with the CBD resistance gene Ck-1. All accessions in the germplasm collection were resistant to H. vastatrix race II, and 141 were resistant to H. vastatrix race XXXIII. Based on the presence of markers, there were 106 accessions containing the CBD resistance gene Ck-1. In the diversity study, the 152 accessions clustered into 21 different groups. A unique molecular profile (fingerprint) was determined for each individual, using 52 alleles from 22 SSR markers. The HdT germplasm of UFV was highly diverse, and included 99 accessions with multiple disease resistance genes, including the CBD resistance gene Ck-1, and others conferring resistance to H. vastatrix races II and XXXIII.     

Development of RAPD and ISSR derived SCAR markers linked to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xca1Bo</Emphasis> gene conferring resistance to black rot disease in cauliflower (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica oleracea</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">botrytis</Emphasis> L.)

Black rot caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) (Pam.) is the most devastating disease of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.; 2n = 2x = 18), taking a heavy toll of the crop. In this study, a random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) derived sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers linked to the black rot resistance locus Xca1bo were developed and evaluated as a screening tool for resistance. The RAPD marker OPO-04₈₃₃ and ISSR marker ISSR-11₆₃₅ were identified as closely linked at 1.6 cM distance to the black rot resistance locus Xca1bo. Both the markers OPO-04₈₃₃ and ISSR-11₆₃₅ were cloned, sequenced and converted into SCAR markers and validated in 17 cauliflower breeding lines having different genetic backgrounds. These SCAR markers (ScOPO-04₈₃₃ and ScPKPS-11₆₃₅) amplified common locus and showed 100% accuracy in differentiating resistant and susceptible plants of cauliflower breeding lines. The SCAR markers ScOPO-04₈₃₃ and ScPKPS-11₆₃₅ are the first genetic markers found to be linked to the black rot resistance locus Xca1bo in cauliflower. These markers will be very useful in black rot resistance marker assisted breeding.     

Hybrids of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Passiflora</Emphasis>: <Emphasis Type="Italic">P. gardneri</Emphasis> versus <Emphasis Type="Italic">P. gibertii,</Emphasis> confirmation of paternity,morphological and cytogenetic characterization

Two new varieties of interspecific hybrids of Passiflora have been developed from the cross between P. gardneri versus P. gibertii, both registered under the Passiflora Society International. Twelve putative hybrids were analyzed. Hybridization was confirmed using RAPD and SSR markers. Primer UBC11 (5′-CCGGCCTTAC-3′) generated informative bands. Primer SSR Pe75 has amplified species-specific fragments and a heterozygote status was observed with two parent bands 300 and 350 bp. The molecular markers generated have been analyzed for the presence or absence of specific informative bands. Based on the morphological characterization, we have identified two hybrid varieties: P. ‘Gabriela’ and P. ‘Bella’. P. ‘Gabriela’ produced flowers in bluish tones, bluish petals on the adaxial and abaxial faces, light blue sepals on the adaxial and light green on the abaxial faces, corona with the base of filaments in intense lilac color and white apex. P. ‘Bella’ produced flowers in lilac tones, intense lilac petals on the adaxial and abaxial faces, dark lilac sepals with whitish edges on the adaxial and light green on the abaxial faces, corona with the base of filaments in intense lilac color and white apex. The cytogenetic analysis verified that the hybrids have the same chromosomal number as the parents (2n = 18); the formation of bivalents between the homeologous chromosomes (n = 9) was observad, leading to regular meiosis, which allows the sexual reproduction and use of these hybrids in breeding programs.     

Selection of pea genotypes with partial resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sclerotinia sclerotiorum</Emphasis> across a wide range of temperatures and periods of high relative humidity

Partial resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum based on stem lesion advancement was assessed for nine wild pea genotypes from five geographic origins and two cultivated genotypes, when peas were inoculated and incubated at all combinations of five temperatures (15.6, 18.3, 21.1, 23.9, 29.4°C) and four period(s) of high relative humidity (PHRH; 12, 24, 48, 72 h). PHRH of 12 and 24 h should not be used when screening plants for resistance to S. sclerotiorum regardless of the incubation temperature, since stem lesions are rarely (2.7%) visible at 12 h and there were no significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) in lesion lengths among and within genotypes at all temperatures assessed after 24 h. However, PHRH of 48 and 72 h are recommended for use to assess partial resistance since significant differences in stem lesion length among the genotypes were observed and characterized for these periods. Genotypes with cool (15.6 and 18.3°C) versus warm (23.9 and 29.4°C) temperature partial resistance to S. sclerotiorum were identified, and genotypes PI 240515 and PI 169603 appear to have the best cool and warm temperature partial resistance, respectively, among the genotypes assessed. A temperature of 21.1°C was the optimal temperature favouring lesion advancement for the majority of the genotypes evaluated. PI 169603 demonstrated the best partial resistance to S. sclerotiorum across the widest temperature and PHRH ranges and is recommended to plant breeders as the best single genotype to develop future cultivars with improved partial resistance to S. sclerotiorum based on stem lesion advancement.     

Associating chemical analysis to molecular markers for the valorization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Citrus aurantium</Emphasis> leaves: a useful starting point for marker-assisted selection

Variation in metabolite composition and content is often observed in citrus, however, it is poorly understood to what extent this variation has a genetic basis. C. aurantium genotypes originating from Tunisia were evaluated to detect genomic (SSR markers) and chemotypic polymorphisms and to discover possible associations between them. A total of fifteen highly polymorphic SSR markers were selected to screen the genetic variability of the most widespread sour orange genotypes. Targeted secondary metabolite profiling analysis generated twenty-one compounds differentially accumulated in the leaves of sour orange genotypes. PCA analysis revealed that genomic and chemotypic data generated similar pattern of clustering, highlighting the intra-specific variability in C. aurantium species. Both data were integrated, leading to the identification of associated SSR alleles with secondary metabolites. Based on results, a relatively high correlation (r = 0.381; p < 0.0001) between chemotypic patterns and genetic markers was identified. Associations between traits of interest for phenolic compounds and genetic markers were tested using statistical methods including three linear model approaches. These results consolidate the presence of a chemical fingerprint that may be suitable for assessing identity and quality of a particular genotype which will be very useful for citrus breeding programs.     

Assessment of DNA markers for seed contamination testing and selection of disease resistance in cabbage

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) is an important vegetable worldwide. Most Japanese commercial cultivars of cabbage use an F₁ hybrid seed production system. The purity of F₁ hybrid seeds is important and the assessment of purity based on DNA markers can be highly accurate. In addition, selection of agronomically important traits such as disease resistance based on DNA markers is useful for breeding of cabbage. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of DNA marker-assisted selection in cabbage. In this study we distinguished the parental S haplotypes in 35 F₁ hybrid cultivars by combining several linked DNA markers. Thirty-one highly polymorphic simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers were screened from 175 reported SSR markers, which are useful for assessment of the purity of F₁ hybrid seeds. We examined the relationship between the DNA marker based genotype and the phenotype by an inoculation test of clubroot disease. A co-dominant PCR–RFLP marker was developed for selection of Fusarium yellows resistance and the genotypes using this marker were consistent with inoculation test in all tested samples.     

QTL mapping and identification of corresponding genomic regions for black pod disease resistance to three <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phytophthora</Emphasis> species in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Theobroma cacao</Emphasis> L.

The cacao tree (Theobroma cacao L.) is a species of great importance because cacao beans are the raw material used in the production of chocolate. However, the economic success of cacao is largely limited by important diseases such as black pod, which is responsible for losses of up to 30–40% of the global cacao harvest. The discovery of resistance genes could extensively reduce these losses. Therefore, the aims of this study were to construct an integrated multipoint genetic map, align polymorphisms against the available cacao genome, and identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with resistance to black pod disease in cacao. The genetic map had a total length of 956.41 cM and included 186 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers distributed among 10 linkage groups. The physical “in silico” map covered more than 200 Mb of the cacao genome. Based on the mixed model predicted means of Phytophthora evaluation, a total of 6 QTLs were detected for Phytophthora palmivora (1 QTL), Phytophthora citrophthora (1 QTL), and Phytophthora capsici (4 QTLs). Approximately 1.77–3.29% of the phenotypic variation could be explained by the mapped QTLs. Several SSR marker-flanking regions containing mapped QTLs were located in proximity to disease regions. The greatest number of resistance genes was detected in linkage group 6, which provides strong evidence for a QTL. This joint analysis involving multipoint and mixed-model approaches may provide a potentially promising technique for detecting genes resistant to black pod and could be very useful for future studies in cacao breeding.     

Molecular insights into brown rust resistance and potential epidemic based on the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bru</Emphasis>1 gene in sugarcane varieties and new elite clones

In most sugarcane cultivation areas, sugarcane brown rust (SBR), caused by Puccinia melanocephala, is an economically important fungal disease that leads to severe yield loss in susceptible cultivars. Bru1, which is the major dominant SBR resistance gene, has been widely used in the prediction of brown rust resistance in sugarcane. In this study, three panels of sugarcane germplasms, the major varieties approved over the past 10 years and new elite clones in the current national regional trial, together with one panel of Saccharum spontaneum, were employed in estimating the possibility of SBR epidemic and to assess the efficiency of 9O20-F4-HaeIII in eliminating false positives. Among the current top five varieties used as sucrose feedstock, accounting for more than 68.9% of the total cultivated area, all were highly resistant to SBR, although only three harboring Bru1. Two major varieties Yuetang60 and Guitang46 without harboring Bru1 were highly susceptible to SBR, together with highly susceptible Funong41, which need prudent promotion. Approximately 60.5% of the 38 new elite clones were Bru1 positive. Considering the susceptibility of Liucheng03-1137, which exhibits a strong promotion momentum, together with Funong41, Guitang46, Yuetang60, and Yunzhe06-47, four were favored by the enterprise due to their superior sucrose content and good stalk yield, despite their high susceptibility to SBR, and additional Yuetang93-159, one current top five varieties with declining resistance, which results in a potential risk for brown rust epidemic. Furthermore, low frequency of the wild germplasm of S. spontaneum from five different countries was Bru1 positive. In addition, a perfect molecular diagnostic result was observed in all modern sugarcane clones using two dominant markers, and HaeIII can prevent the occurrence of false positive results when the 9O20-F4 PCR products of S. spontaneum are digested by RsaI. The prevalent chewing cane Badila without Bru1 is highly resistant to SBR. Our results provide valuable information for the extension of sugarcane varieties and a batch of novel SBR resistance sources with superior comprehensive characters for crossbreeding, and for SBR-resistant gene pyramiding by crossing or through mining and using of new SBR-resistant genes.     

Performance of cowpea varieties under <Emphasis Type="Italic">Striga gesnerioides</Emphasis> (Willd.) Vatke infestation using biplot analysis

Striga gesnerioides (Willd) Vatke, is a major destructive parasitic weed of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) which causes substantial yield reduction in West and Central Africa. The presence of different virulent races within the parasite population contributes to significant genotype × environment interaction, and complicates breeding for durable resistance to Striga. A 3-year study was conducted at three locations in the dry savanna agro-ecology of Nigeria, where Striga gesnerioides is endemic. The primary objective of the study was to identify cowpea genotypes with high yield under Striga infestation and yield stability across test environments and to access suitability of the test environment. Data collected on grain yield and yield components were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). Means from ANOVA were subjected to the genotype main effect plus genotype × environment (GGE) biplot analysis to examine the multi-environment trial data and rank genotypes according to the environments. Genotypes, environment, and genotypes × environment interaction mean squares were significant for grain yield and yield components, and number of emerged Striga plants. The environment accounted for 35.01%, whereas the genotype × environment interaction accounted for 9.10% of the variation in grain yield. The GGE biplot identified UAM09 1046-6-1 (V7), and UAM09 1046-6-2 (V8), as ideal genotypes suggesting that these genotypes performed relatively well in all study environments and could be regarded as adapted to a wide range of locations. Tilla was the most repeatable and ideal location for selecting widely adapted genotypes for resistance to S. gesnerioides.     

Further QTL mapping for yield component traits using introgression lines in rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L.) under drought field environments

To better understand the underlying mechanisms of agronomic traits related to drought resistance and discover candidate genes or chromosome segments for drought-tolerant rice breeding, a fundamental introgression population, BC₃, derived from the backcross of local upland rice cv. Haogelao (donor parent) and super yield lowland rice cv. Shennong265 (recurrent parent) had been constructed before 2006. Previous quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping results using 180 and 94 BC₃F_6,7 rice introgression lines (ILs) with 187 and 130 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for agronomy and physiology traits under drought in the field have been reported in 2009 and 2012, respectively. In this report, we conducted further QTL mapping for grain yield component traits under water-stressed (WS) and well-watered (WW) field conditions during 3 years (2012, 2013 and 2014). We used 62 SSR markers, 41 of which were newly screened, and 492 BC₄F_2,4 core lines derived from the fourth backcross between D123, an elite drought-tolerant IL (BC₃F₇), and Shennong265. Under WS conditions, a total of 19 QTLs were detected, all of which were associated with the new SSRs. Each QTL was only identified in 1 year and one site except for qPL-12-1 and qPL-5, which additively increased panicle length under drought stress. qPL-12-1 was detected in 2013 between new marker RM1337 and old marker RM3455 (34.39 cM) and was a major QTL with high reliability and 15.36% phenotypic variance. qPL-5 was a minor QTL detected in 2013 and 2014 between new marker RM5693 and old marker RM3476. Two QTLs for plant height (qPHL-3-1 and qPHP-12) were detected under both WS and WW conditions in 1 year and one site. qPHL-3-1, a major QTL from Shennong265 for decreasing plant height of leaf located on chromosome 3 between two new markers, explained 22.57% of phenotypic variation with high reliability under WS conditions. On the contrary, qPHP-12 was a minor QTL for increasing plant height of panicle from Haogelao on chromosome 12. Except for these two QTLs, all other 17 QTLs mapped under WS conditions were not mapped under WW conditions; thus, they were all related to drought tolerance. Thirteen QTLs mapped from Haogelao under WS conditions showed improved drought tolerance. However, a major QTL for delayed heading date from Shennong265, qDHD-12, enhanced drought tolerance, was located on chromosome 12 between new marker RM1337 and old marker RM3455 (11.11 cM), explained 21.84% of phenotypic variance and showed a negative additive effect (shortening delay days under WS compared with WW). Importantly, chromosome 12 was enriched with seven QTLs, five of which, including major qDHD-12, congregated near new marker RM1337. In addition, four of the seven QTLs improved drought resistance and were located between RM1337 and RM3455, including three minor QTLs from Haogelao for thousand kernel weight, tiller number and panicle length, respectively, and the major QTL qDHD-12 from Shennong265. These results strongly suggested that the newly screened RM1337 marker may be used for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in drought-tolerant rice breeding and that there is a pleiotropic gene or cluster of genes linked to drought tolerance. Another major QTL (qTKW-1-2) for increasing thousand kernel weight from Haogelao was also identified under WW conditions. These results are helpful for MAS in rice breeding and drought-resistant gene cloning.     

Mapping and use of seed protein loci for marker-assisted selection of growth habit and photoperiod response in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nuña</Emphasis> bean (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phaseolus vulgaris</Emphasis> L.)

The individual segregations of 14 seed protein loci named, SpA to SpM and Pha (phaseolin), were analyzed in a RIL population developed from the cross Xana × Cornell 49242. These seed protein loci were included in a genetic map previously developed in the same population. Protein loci, SpA, SpB, SpE, SpI, SpJ, and Pha, are organized in two different clusters, both located in linkage group (LG) 7; SpF, SpG, SpK, SpL, and SpM, form a single cluster in LG 4; SpC, is located in LG 3; and SpD, in LG 1. A close linkage was identified between the SpD seed protein locus, and the fin gene, controlling determinate growth habit. The usefulness of the SpD locus as a marker for the indirect selection of determinate growth habit and photoperiod insensitivity was checked in a F₂ population derived from the cross G12587 (an indeterminate and photoperiod sensitive nuña bean) × Sanilac (determinate and photoperiod insensitive) and in a set of Mesoamerican and Andean genotypes. Results indicate that SpD protein locus was useful to detect individuals having determinate growth habit and photoperiod insensitivity in the cross G12587 × Salinac although some recombinants were found. However, the linkage between the SpD locus and the genes controlling growth habit and photoperiod sensitivity should be checked before using the SpD locus for the indirect selection of these traits in different backgrounds.