Field and genetic evidence support the photosynthetic performance index (PIABS) as an indicator of rice grain yield

RODRÍGUEZ ANDÉS ALBERTO; VILAS, JUAN MANUEL; SARTORE GUSTAVO; BEZUS RODOLFO; COLAZO JOSE; MAIALE SANTIAGO JAVIER

PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY

ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER

Lugar: Paris; Año: 2023 vol. 201

0981-9428

The rice breeding process for grain yield could be effectively enhanced bydeveloping efficient tools that accelerate plant selection through the rapiddetermination of reliable predictors. In this study, we have described variousassociations between grain yield and photosynthetic parameters, which can be easilyand quickly obtained using a non-invasive technique on the flag leaf during theanthesis stage. Among the analyzed photosynthetic parameters, the photosyntheticperformance index (PIABS) stood out due to its strong association with grain yield. Agenome-wide association analysis conducted on plants from a rice diversity panel atthe tillering stage revealed the presence of a quantitative trait locus on chromosomeThis locus was characterized by a group of candidate chloroplastic genes thatexhibited contrasting haplotypes for PIABS. An analysis of these haplotypes revealeda clear division into two groups. One group consisted of haplotypes linked to highvalues of PIABS, which were predominantly associated with Japonica spp.subpopulations. The other group consisted of haplotypes linked to low values ofPIABS, which were exclusively associated with Indica spp. subpopulations. Japonicaspp. genotypes exhibited higher values in the yield component panicle weightcompared with the Indica spp. genotypes. The findings of this study indicate thatPIABS could serve as an early predictor of yield parameters during the tillering stagein rice breeding processes