Identification of RAPD markers for percent hull in oat

Percent hull is an important physical parameter of oat grain quality, but it is affected by environment. Multiple time-consuming evaluations are required to obtain a correct determination of phenotype. The application of marker-assisted selection for the genes involved would greatly simplify the identification of desirable oat genotypes. Bulked segregant analysis, with selected progeny lines derived from a cross between Cascade and AC Marie (30 and 23% hull, respectively), was used to identify randomly amplified polymorphic DNA markers linked to genetic factors controlling primary kernel hull percentage in oat. Twelve polymorphisms, identified between bulks, were tested for linkage to genetic factors controlling hull percentage by genotyping 80 randomly selected F2-derived F8 lines from the progeny population. Three markers showed significant test statistics for quantitative trait locus effects, when tested with primary kernel percent hull data from two environments. Together, the unlinked marker loci OPC13800, OPD20600, and OPK71300 explained approximately 41% of the genetic variance in primary kernel percent hull, after accounting for the main effect of environment.