Identification and characterization of quantitative trait loci that control seed dormancy in Arabidopsis

Seed dormancy is a trait that is under multigenic control and affected strongly by environmental factors. Thus, seed dormancy is a typical quantitative trait. Natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana exhibit a great deal of genetic variation for seed dormancy. This natural variation can be used to identify genes controlling this trait by means of quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping. In this chapter, we describe how QTL mapping for seed dormancy in Arabidopsis thaliana can be performed and how QTL analyses can be used to eventually identify the causal gene. Methods and recourses available specifically for Arabidopsis are described or referred to.