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Flowering time control in European winter wheat
Simon M Langer1, C Friedrich H Longin1, Tobias Würschum1
1State Plant Breeding Institute, University of Hohenheim Stuttgart, Germany.
Frontiers in Plant Science
|October 28, 2014
Summary
Flowering time in European winter wheat is primarily controlled by the Ppd-D1 gene. Fine-tuning for local climates involves Ppd-B1 copy number variation and multiple quantitative trait loci (QTLs).
Area of Science:
- Plant genetics
- Agricultural science
- Crop breeding
Background:
- Flowering time is crucial for wheat adaptation and yield.
- Understanding its genetic basis is key for breeding improved winter wheat cultivars.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic architecture controlling flowering time in European winter bread wheat.
- To identify major genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) influencing this trait.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated 410 winter wheat varieties in multi-location field trials.
- Genotyped varieties using genotyping-by-sequencing and candidate gene markers.
- Analyzed genetic variance explained by specific loci and QTLs.
Main Results:
- The photoperiod regulator Ppd-D1 was identified as the major factor, explaining 58% of genotypic variance.
- Copy number variation at Ppd-B1 explained a smaller proportion (3.2%) of variance.
- Plant height loci (Rht-B1, Rht-D1) did not affect flowering time.
- Six genome-wide QTLs and several epistatic QTLs with small effects were identified.
Conclusions:
- Flowering time in European winter bread wheat is predominantly controlled by Ppd-D1.
- Ppd-B1 copy number variation and numerous small-effect QTLs contribute to fine-tuning flowering time for local climates.
