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Vernalization gene combination to maximize grain yield in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in diverse environments

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Abstract

The major vernalisation genes of VRN1 are well understood at the molecular level. However, their quantitative contributions to flowering time and grain yield related traits are not clear. In this study, we used a double haploid population (225 lines) of Westonia × Kauz in which the Vrn-A1a (Westonia), Vrn-B1a (Westonia) and Vrn-D1a (Kauz) were segregating, and a high resolution genetic map of 1,159 loci, to determine the quantitative contributions of Vrn-A1a, Vrn-B1a and Vrn-D1a for the days to anthesis and grain yield related traits in diverse environments. The major quantitative trait loci (QTL) of spikelet number per spike and days to anthesis were contributed by the winter alleles of VRN1. The QTL of the time of grain filling were contributed by the spring alleles of VRN1. The wild genotype (vrn-A1vrn-B1vrn-D1) showed the latest flowering, the highest spikelet number per spike, lowest peduncle proportion and thousand grain weight in three environmental analyses, and the largest spikelet number per spike, which resulted in high kernel number per spike (KN) and grain weight (GW) in well-watered environments. One QTL of KN was located on 5B, contributed by winter allele of vrn-B1 in three environmental analyses, and one GW QTL was detected on 5A, contributed by the spring allele of Vrn-A1a in a drought environment. The results indicated that the genotype Vrn-A1avrn-B1Vrn-D1a would shorten the time to anthesis and give high GW and KN in drought environments. The early anthesis associated phenotype, peduncle proportion would provide an indicator in breeding programs.

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Abbreviations

DH:

Double haploid

GW:

Grain weight per spike

KN:

Kernel number per spike

QTL:

Quantitative trait loci

SNP:

Single nucleotide polymorphism

SSR:

Microsatellite molecular markers

TGW:

Thousand grain weight

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Murdoch University and Grain Research & Development Corporation ‘grant number UMU00039’. The authors acknowledge Ruilian Jing, Wei Shi, Xianshan Hu (Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, China), and Jun Zhu (Zhe Jiang University) for the help on QTL analysis and checking the mapping data. The authors are very grateful to Irene Waters and Tim Setter (the Department of Agricultural and Food, Western Australia) for providing the Westonia and Kauz double haploid lines and Mehmet Cakir for providing 199 polymorphic SSR marker names.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia

    Jingjuan Zhang, Bernard Dell, Nusrat Khan & Hao Luo

  2. Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, 3 Baron Hay Court, South Perth, WA, 6151, Australia

    Ben Biddulph

  3. School of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui East Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China

    Yunji Xu

  4. Centre Comparative Genomics, South Street, Murdoch, 6150, Australia

    Rudi Appels

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  1. Jingjuan Zhang
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  2. Bernard Dell
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  3. Ben Biddulph
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  4. Nusrat Khan
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  6. Hao Luo
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Correspondence to Jingjuan Zhang.

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Zhang, J., Dell, B., Biddulph, B. et al. Vernalization gene combination to maximize grain yield in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in diverse environments. Euphytica 198, 439–454 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-014-1120-6

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