Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

General combining ability of most yield-related traits had a genetic basis different from their corresponding traits per se in a set of maize introgression lines

  • Published:
Genetica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Evaluation of combining ability is a crucial process in hybrid breeding, and dissection of the genetic basis of combining ability will facilitate hybrid breeding. In this study, molecular markers significantly associated with general combining ability (GCA) of seven yield-related traits and the traits per se were detected in a set of maize introgression lines (ILs) under three environments. Totally 25 and 31 significant loci for GCA and the traits per se were commonly detected under multiple environments, respectively. Correlation analysis and comparison among these significant loci revealed that the genetic basis of GCA of these yield-related traits was generally different from that of the traits per se except for the trait of ear row number. In addition, GCA of the ILs was positively and significantly correlated to the total relative effects of significant GCA loci in the ILs in general, implying that the GCA loci identified in this study would be useful in molecular breeding. Correlation analysis also showed that the GCA of yield per plant was strongly correlated to the GCA of kernel number per row, ear length and 100-kernel-weight, thus these traits were more important in genetic improvement for GCA. Results in this study would provide useful information for hybrid breeding in maize.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

EH:

Ear height

EL:

Ear length

GCA:

General combining ability

ILs:

Introgression lines

KN:

Kernel number per row

KW:

100-Kernel weight

PH:

Plant height

QTL:

Quantitative trait loci

RN:

Row number

YP:

Yield per plant

References

  • Austin DF, Lee M, Veldboom LR, Hallauer AR (2000) Genetic mapping in maize with hybrid progeny across testers and generations: grain yield and grain moisture. Crop Sci 40:30–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Basbag S, Ekinci R, Gencer O (2007) Combining ability and heterosis for earliness characters in line × tester population of Gossypium hirsutum L. Hereditas 144:185–190

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eichten SR, Foerster JM, Leon N, Kai Y, Yeh C, Liu S, Jeddeloh JA, Schnable PS, Kaeppler SM, Springer NM (2011) B73-Mo17 near-isogenic lines demonstrate dispersed structural variation in maize. Plant Physiol 156:1679–1690

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eshed Y, Zamir D (1995) An introgression line population. Genetics 141:1147–1162

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Griffing B (1956) Concept of general and specific combining ability in relation to diallel crossing systems. Aust J Biol Sci 9:463–493

    Google Scholar 

  • Gu L (2007) General combining ability analysis and its QTL mapping of maize DH lines. Dissertation, Heibei Agricultural University

  • Hallauer AR (1990) Methods used in developing maize inbreds. Maydica 35:1–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Hallauer AR, Carena MJ, Miranda-Filho JB (2010) Quantitative genetics in maize breeding. Springer Science + Business Media, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Keurentjes JJB, Bentsink L, Alonso-Blanco C, Hanhart CJ, Vries HB, Effgen S, Vreugdenhil D, Koornneef M (2007) Development of a near-isogenic line population of Arabidopsis thaliana and comparison of mapping power with a recombinant inbred line population. Genetics 175:891–905

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu X, Chen S, Chen J, Ishiki K, Wang W, Yu L (2004) Improvement of combining ability for restorer lines with the identified SSR markers in hybrid rice breeding. Breed Sci 54:341–346

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu R, Zhang H, Zhao P, Zhang Z, Liang W, Tian Z, Zheng Y (2012) Mining of candidate maize genes for nitrogen use efficiency by integrating gene expression and QTL data. Plant Mol Biol Rep 30:297–308

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lv AZ, Zhang H, Zhang Z, Tao Y, Yue B, Zheng Y (2012) Conversion of the statistical combining ability into a genetic concept. Agric Sci China 11:101–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Ni X, Zhang T, Jiang K, Yang L, Yang Q, Cao Y, Wen C, Zheng J (2009) Correlations between specific combining ability, heterosis and genetic distance in hybrid rice. Hereditas (Beijing) 31:849–854

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nyquist WE (1991) Estimation of heritability and prediction of selection response in plant populations. Crit Rev Plant Sci 10:235–322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pradesh H (1998) General combining ability and its repeatability in early generations of potato breeding programmes. Potato Res 41:21–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qi H, Huang J, Zheng Q, Huang Y, Shao R, Zhu L, Zhang Z, Qiu F, Zhou G, Zheng Y, Yue B (2013) Identification of combining ability loci for five yield-related traits in maize using a set of testcrosses with introgression lines. Theor Appl Genet 126:369–377

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Qu Z, Li L, Luo J, Wang P, Yu S, Mou T, Zheng X, Hu Z (2012) QTL mapping of combining ability and heterosis of agronomic traits in rice backcross recombinant inbred lines and hybrid crosses. PLoS ONE 7:e28463

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Riedelsheimer C, Czedik-eysenberg A, Grieder C, Lisec J, Technow F, Sulpice R, Altmann T, Stitt S, Willmitzer L, Melchinger AE (2012) Genomic and metabolic prediction of complex heterotic traits in hybrid maize. Nat Genet 44:217–220

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute Inc (2002) SAS guide for personal computers, 9th edn. SAS Institute, Cary

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith JSC, Hussain T, Jones ES, Graham G, Podlich D, Wall S, Williams M (2008) Use of doubled haploids in maize breeding: implications for intellectual property protection and genetic diversity in hybrid crops. Mol Breeding 22:51–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stuber CW, Lincoln SE, Wolff DW, Helentjaris T, Lander ES (1992) Identification of genetic factors contributing to heterosis in a hybrid from two elite maize inbred lines using molecular markers. Genetics 132:823–839

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Teng W, Cao J, Chen Y, Liu X, Jing X, Zhang F, Li J (2004) Analysis of maize heterotic groups and patterns during past decade in China. Scientia Agricultura Scinica 37:1804–1811

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No: 30971791), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Program No: 2012ZYTS055), and Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation (No: 2010CBB01902). The authors also thank Dr. Zuxin Zhang for kindly providing the seeds of the ILs.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China

    Juan Huang, Huanhuan Qi, Xiaomin Feng & Bing Yue

  2. College of Agronomy, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, 071001, China

    Yaqun Huang & Liying Zhu

Authors
  1. Juan Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Huanhuan Qi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xiaomin Feng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yaqun Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Liying Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Bing Yue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bing Yue.

Additional information

Juan Huang and Huanhuan Qi have contributed equally to this work.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Huang, J., Qi, H., Feng, X. et al. General combining ability of most yield-related traits had a genetic basis different from their corresponding traits per se in a set of maize introgression lines. Genetica 141, 453–461 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10709-013-9744-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10709-013-9744-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation