Power and false-positive rate in QTL detection with near-isogenic line libraries

Libraries of near-isogenic lines (NILs) were used for quantitative trait locus (QTL) detection in model species and economically important crops. The experimental design and genetic architecture of the considered traits determine the statistical properties of QTL detection. The objectives of our simulation study were to (i) investigate the population sizes required to develop NIL libraries in barley and maize, (ii) compare NIL libraries with nonoverlapping and overlapping donor segments and (iii) study the number of QTLs and the size of their effects with respect to the power and the false-positive rate of QTL detection. In barley, the development of NIL libraries with target segment lengths of 10 c and marker distances of 5 cM was possible using a BC(3)S(2) backcrossing scheme and population sizes of 140. In maize, population sizes larger than 200 were required. Selection for the recipient parent genome at markers flanking the target segments with distances between 5 and 10 cM was required for an efficient control of the false-positive rate. NIL libraries with nonoverlapping donor chromosome segments had a greater power of QTL detection and a smaller false-positive rate than libraries with overlapping segments. Major genes explaining 30% of the genotypic difference between the donor and recipient were successfully detected even with low heritabilities of 0.5, whereas for minor genes explaining 5 !or 10%, high heritabilities of 0.8 or 0.9 were required. The presented results can assist geneticists and breeders in the efficient development of NIL libraries for QTL detection.