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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Logan, Utah » Forage and Range Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #239409
Title: QTL Underlying Self-Fertility in Tetraploid Alfalfa

Author
item Robins, Joseph
item BRUMMER, E. - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/8/2009
Publication Date: 1/6/2010
Citation: Robins, J.G., Brummer, E.C. 2010. QTL Underlying Self-Fertility in Tetraploid Alfalfa. Crop Science. 50:143-149.

Interpretive Summary: Decreased self-fertility would lower the amount of self-seed production during alfalfa cultivar seed increase stages. However, we do not know which genes control this trait in alfalfa. To aid in the identification of alfalfa self-fertility genes, we mapped several traits associated with self-fertility (QTL) to intervals on the alfalfa genome. Heritability values of these traits indicated that self-fertility is under substantial genetic control in alfalfa. QTL intervals were identified on linkage groups 2, 4, 6, and 8.

Technical Abstract: A potential strategy to decrease the levels of self-seed production during the seed increase stages of alfalfa synthetic cultivar development is selection for decreased self-fertility. The underlying genetics of this trait have not been elucidated, and therefore, a study was designed to identify genetic determinants of alfalfa self-fertility. An F1 mapping population developed by crossing parents representing Medicago sativa subsp. falcata and M. sativa subsp. sativa was characterized for self-fertility in a greenhouse during the winter of 1999. Traits representing self-fertility were measured and then mapped to the resulting genetic maps of both parents. Heritability values for each trait were high, suggesting genetic factors are important for their expression. QTL for self-fertility traits were identified on linkage groups (LGs) 2 and 6 from the falcata parent and LGs 4 and 8 of the sativa parent.