Teosinte-Derived Advanced Backcross Population Harbors Genomic Regions for Grain Yield Attributing Traits in Maize

Maize is a highly versatile crop holding significant importance in global food, feed and nutritional security. Grain yield is a complex trait and difficult to improve without targeting the improvement of grain yield attributing traits, which are relatively less complex in nature. Hence, considering the erosion in genetic diversity, there is an urgent need to use wild relatives for genetic diversification and unravel the genomic regions for grain yield attributing traits in maize. Thus, the current study aimed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) linked with grain yield and yield attributing traits. Two BC₂F₂ populations developed from the cross of LM13 with Zea parviglumis (population 1) and LM14 with Zea parviglumis (population 2) were genotyped and phenotyped in field conditions in the kharif season. BC₂F_2:3 lines in both populations were phenotyped again for grain yield and attributing traits in the spring season. In total, three QTLs each for ear height (EH), two QTLs for flag leaf length (FLL) and one QTL each for ear diameter (ED), plant height, flag leaf length (FLL), flag leaf width and 100 kernel-weight were identified in population 1. In population 2, two QTLs for kernel row per ear (KRPE) and one QTL for FLL were detected in. QTLs for EH, FLL and KPRE showed consistency across seasons. Among the identified QTLs, six QTLs were found to be co-localized near identified genomic regions in previous studies, validating their potential in contributing to trait expression. The identified QTLs can be utilized for marker assisted selection, transferring favorable alleles from wild relatives in modern maize.