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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbus, Ohio » Soil Drainage Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #118155
Title: IDENTIFICATION OF A QTL ASSOCIATED WITH TOLERANCE OF SOYBEAN TO SOIL WATERLOGGING

Author
item Vantoai, Tara
item ST MARTIN, S - HORT & CROP SCI - OSU
item CHASE, K - UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
item BORU, G - HORT & CROP SCI - OSU
item SCHNIPKE, V - USDA/ARS
item SCHMITTHENNER, A - PLANT PATH - OSU
item LARK, K - UNIVERSITY OF UTAH

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/18/2000
Publication Date: 9/1/2001
Citation: Vantoai, T.T., St Martin, S.K., Chase, K., Boru, G., Schnipke, V., Schmitthenner, A.F., Lark, K.G. 2001. Identification of a qtl associated with tolerance of soybean to soil waterlogging. Crop Science. Vol. 41. p. 1247-1252.

Interpretive Summary: Flooding is a major environmental stress that suppresses soybean growth and yield. We conducted a study with 208 progeny lines of two crosses (Archer x Minsoy and Archer x Noir I) to identify genes associated with the tolerance of soybean to flooding. The experiment was conducted in three locations where plants at the beginning flowering stage were subjected to flooding for two weeks. We identified a single gene (Sat_064) from the Archer parent which was associated with improved plant growth (from 11 to 18%) and grain yield (from 47 to 180%) in flooded soil. The Sat_064 QTL was uniquely associated with flooding tolerance and was not associated with maturity, normal plant height or grain yields. This marker would allow the selection of promising flood-tolerant genotypes for breeding without the need of growing and testing a large number plants in the field.

Technical Abstract: Soil waterlogging is a major environmental stress that suppresses soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) growth and yield. Our objective was to identify the quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with the tolerance of soybean to soil waterlogging. We subjected 208 lines of two recombinant inbred (RI) populations, 'Archer' x 'Minsoy' and 'Archer' x 'Noir I', to two weeks of waterlogging when the plants were at the early flowering stage. The control plants were not flooded. The experiment was conducted in three environments: Columbus, OH in 1997 and 1998 and Wooster, OH in 1998. We identified a single QTL, linked to marker Sat_064, from the Archer parent which was associated with improved plant growth (from 11 to 18%) and grain yields (from 47 to 180%) in waterlogged environments. This highly significant QTL (p= 0.02 to 0.000001) was identified in both RI populations and in both Columbus 1997 and 1998 environments, but not at the Wooster 1998 environment. The differences in soil type and flooding treatment (stagnant versus moving water) could have contributed to the lack of QTL identification at the Wooster 1998 environment. The Sat_064 QTL was uniquely associated with waterlogging tolerance and was not associated with maturity, normal plant height or grain yields. The Sat_064 marker maps close to the Rps 4 gene for Phytophthora (Phytophthora sojae) resistance, however since Archer does not contain the 4 resistance allele, it is probably not a disease tolerance QTL. Near isogenic lines with and without the Sat_064 marker have been developed and are being field tested under waterlogging conditions to confirm the association of the QTL with the tolerance of soybean to waterlogging stress.