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

MARTIN, E.A; CRAVERO V.P.; COINTRY, E.L

La Plata

Simposio; IX International Symposium on Artichoke, Cardoon and their wild relatives; 2015

ISHS

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 an energy crop. 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 F1 progeny 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 for marker assisted selection. Both progenitors and their F1 were grown at the Experimental Field Station (UNR). Five agronomic traits were evaluated over September-December 2014: diameter and length of the plant (DP, LP), weight of the total leaves, heads and stalks (WTL, WTH, WTS). T-Student test was performed to compare the mean values between parents. The normal distribution of the traits in the F1 was verified by a Shapiro-Wilks test. QTL detection and putative localization were based on the genetic linkage maps previously develop by Martin et al. (2013) by simple interval mapping (SIM). All the morphological traits showed normal distribution (Sh-W>0.82) and the parental genotypes were significantly different from one to another for all traits analyzed. A total of ten QTL associated to biomass production were mapped at LODmin=3. Three QTLs for DP were localized at linkage group (LG) II and XIV of the wild cardoon linkage map. Two QTLs for LP were mapped at LG XII and XIV in the wild cardoon linkage map and one QTL at LG Xa in the globe artichoke linkage map. At LG Ib and XIV of the wild cardoon map were localized two QTLs for WTL and WTH. At LODmin=3, QTLs for WTS were not identify. The QTL 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 and the molecular markers linked to QTLs should be used for marker assisted improvement of the species.