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ARS Home » Plains Area » Manhattan, Kansas » Center for Grain and Animal Health Research » Hard Winter Wheat Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #298750
Title: Mapping QTL for the traits associated with heat tolerance in Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.)

Author
item TALUKDER, SHYAMAL - Kansas State University
item BABAR, ALI - Dow Agro Sciences
item VIJAYALAKSHMI, KOLLURU - Kansas State University
item Poland, Jesse
item PRASAD, VARA - Kansas State University
item Bowden, Robert
item FRITZ, ALLAN - Kansas State University

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/29/2014
Publication Date: 11/11/2015
Publication URL: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2156/15/97
Citation: Talukder, S.K., Babar, A.M., Vijayalakshmi, K., Poland, J.A., Prasad, V., Bowden, R.L., Fritz, A.K. 2015. Mapping QTL for the traits associated with heat tolerance in Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.). Crop Science. 15:97. DOI:10.1186/s12863-014-0097-4.

Interpretive Summary: In this study, we investigated the genetic basis for heat tolerance in winter wheat that could be applied for improved wheat varieties in the Southern Great Plains. A genetic population derived from Karl 92, a cultivar adapted to the Central Plains, and Ventnor, a heat-tolerant accession, was evaluated under controlled high heat conditions in the growth chamber. The population was evaluated for multiple parameters of plant health under heat conditions including thylakoid membrane damage (TMD), plasmamembrane damage (PMD), and SPAD chlorophyll content (SCC). Genetic mapping was used to identify genes controlling heat tolerance in the population. We found multiple genes in the population that explained 10 – 30% of the variation in heat tolerance. Once validated, these genetic regions controlling tolerance can be selected in breeding programs using marker-assisted selection to improve heat tolerance.

Technical Abstract: High temperature (heat) stress during grain filling is a major problem in most of the wheat growing areas. Developing heat-tolerant cultivars is becoming a principal breeding goal in the Southern and Central Great Plain areas of USA. Traits associated with high temperature tolerance can be used to develop heat-tolerant cultivars in wheat. The present study was conducted to identify chromosomal regions associated with thylakoid membrane damage (TMD), plasmamembrane damage (PMD), and SPAD chlorophyll content (SCC), which are indicative of high temperature tolerance. An F6-derived mapping population, developed from the heat-tolerant line, 'Ventnor' and heat sensitive line, 'Karl 92', was phenotyped for TMD, PMD, and SCC in the F9 and F10 generations. The population was genotyped using SSR, AFLP and GBS-SNP markers. At ten days after anthesis, plants were initially exposed to increasing high temperature from 20C to 36C over 48 hours time to develop post-anthesis heat acclimation and, subsequently, the heat-acclimatized plants were exposed to chronic heat stress at 36/30C day/night temperature for 10 days. Composite interval mapping identified five QTL regions significantly associated with PMD on chromosomes 7A, 2B and 1D, SCC on 6A, 7A, 1B and 1D and TMD on 6A, 7A and 1D. The variability explained by these QTL ranged from 11.90 to 30.62% for TMD, 11.37 to 30.84% for SCC, and 10.53 to 33.51% for PMD. Molecular markers Xbarc113 and AFLP AGCTCG-347 on chromosome 6A, Xbarc121 and Xbarc49 on 7A, Xgwm18 and Bin1130 on 1B, Bin178 and Bin81 on 2B and Bin747 and Bin1546 on 1D were associated with these QTL. The identified QTL can be used for marker-assisted selection in breeding wheat for heat tolerance.