Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to biomass production in Cynara cardunculus

MARTIN, EUGENIA; CRAVERO, VANINA; COINTRY, ENRIQUE

ACTA HORTICULTURAE

ISHS

Año: 2016 vol. 1147 p. 189 - 195

0567-7572

In the last years, one of the main research objectives includes the development of new renewable energy sources, opening the possibility to introduce C. cardunculus L. as a renewable energy source. To generate genotypes with a high energy yield (biomass) is important to investigate the inheritance of the character, which is under QTLs control. The genetics bases of biomass-related traits were studied in 115 F1individual obtained from a cross between wild cardoon x globe artichoke (Estrella del Sur FCA). The aim of the work was to identify and localize QTLs controlling biomass-related traits as a first step to marker assisted selection. Both progenitors and their F1 were grown at the UNR Experimental Field Station and they were evaluated over September-December 2014. Five agronomic traits were analyzed: diameter and length of the plant (DP, LP), weight of the total leaves, heads and stalks (WTL, WTH, WTS). All the morphological traits showed normal distribution (W>0.87) and the parental genotypes were significantly different from one to another for all traits analyzed. A total of 16 QTLs associated to biomass production were mapped at LODmin=3. The QTLs for correlated traits frequently were co-localized on the same LG region. This work represents the first time that biomass-related traits QTLs were mapped. The molecular markers linked to QTLs should be used for marker assisted improvement of the species.