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Identification of genetic factors influencing salt stress tolerance in white clover (Trifolium repens L.) by QTL analysis

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Abstract

Allotetraploid (2n = 4x = 32) white clover (Trifolium repens L.) is the most commonly cultivated legume component of temperate pastures, sown in swards with a companion grass species. Genetic control of growth performance of white clover on saline land is highly important for dairy industries, due to increasing soil salinity problems. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for salinity tolerance in terms of vegetative growth under stress. Two parental genetic maps consisting of 213 and 159 marker loci and spanning 1,973.0 and 1,837.6 cM, respectively, were constructed using simple sequence repeat (SSR) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers from a two-way pseudo-test cross F1 population derived from pair-crossing of the Haifa2 and LCL2 genotypes. A total of 8 unique genomic regions on 8 linkage groups (LGs) of the Haifa2 parental map and 6 unique regions on 5 LGs in the LCL2 parental map were associated with plant growth under salt stress and relative growth under stress, as compared to control conditions. The results of this study indicate that salt tolerance in white clover is controlled by multiple QTLs, some at common locations, but each of limited magnitude. Location of these QTLs provides the genetic basis and potential for pyramiding of salt tolerance genes in breeding improvement.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Department of Primary Industries, Victoria, Dairy Australia, the Geoffrey Gardiner Dairy Foundation, and Meat and Livestock Australia through the Australian Molecular Plant Breeding Cooperative Research Centre (MPB CRC).

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  1. Julie George

    Present address: ENSIS Genetics, 1 Wilf Crane Crescent, Yarralumla, ACT, 2600, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biosciences Research Division, Department of Primary Industries, Hamilton Centre, Hamilton, VIC, 3300, Australia

    Junping Wang, Gavin A. Kearney, Stacey Erb, Tania Wilkinson, Nathaniel R. Bannan & Kevin F. Smith

  2. Biosciences Research Division, Department of Primary Industries, Victorian AgriBiosciences Centre, La Trobe Research and Development Park, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia

    Michelle C. Drayton, Julie George, Noel O. I. Cogan, Rebecca C. Baillie, Melanie L. Hand & John W. Forster

  3. Molecular Plant Breeding Cooperative Research Centre, Bundoora, Australia

    Junping Wang, Michelle C. Drayton, Julie George, Noel O. I. Cogan, Rebecca C. Baillie, Melanie L. Hand, Gavin A. Kearney, Stacey Erb, Tania Wilkinson, Nathaniel R. Bannan, John W. Forster & Kevin F. Smith

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  1. Junping Wang
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Correspondence to Kevin F. Smith.

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Communicated by R. Varshney.

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Wang, J., Drayton, M.C., George, J. et al. Identification of genetic factors influencing salt stress tolerance in white clover (Trifolium repens L.) by QTL analysis. Theor Appl Genet 120, 607–619 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-009-1179-y

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