Mapping QTLs for pre-harvest sprouting tolerance on chromosome 2D in a synthetic hexaploid wheat x common wheat cross

Based on segregation distortion of simple sequence repeat (SSR) molecular markers, we detected a significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) for pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) tolerance on the short arm of chromosome 2D (2DS) in the extremely susceptible population of F2 progeny generated from the cross of PHS tolerant synthetic hexaploid wheat cultivar 'RSP' and PHS susceptible bread wheat cultivar '88-1643'. To identify the QTL of PHS tolerance, we constructed two SSR-based genetic maps of 2DS in 2004 and 2005. One putative QTL associated with PHS tolerance, designated Qphs.sau-2D, was identified within the marker intervals Xgwm261-Xgwm484 in 2004 and in the next year, nearly in the same position, between markers wmc112 and Xgwm484. Confidence intervals based on the LOD-drop-off method ranged from 9 cM to 15.4 cM and almost completely overlapped with marker interval Xgwm261-Xgwm484. Flanking markers near this QTL could be assigned to the C-2DS1-0.33 chromosome bin, suggesting that the gene(s) controlling PHS tolerance is located in that chromosome region. The phenotypic variation explained by this QTL was about 25.73-27.50%. Genotyping of 48 F6 PHS tolerant plants derived from the cross between PHS tolerant wheat cultivar 'RSP' and PHS susceptible bread wheat cultivar 'MY11' showed that the allele of Qphs.sau-2D found in the 'RSP' genome may prove useful for the improvement of PHS tolerance.