Breeding and selection strategies to combine and validate QTLs for WUE and

heat tolerance of wheat in China

RL Jing, XM Chen, et al. Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) XM Chen, Q Li, et al. Hebei Academy of Agricultural Sciences (HAAS) MR Sun, XR Li, et al. Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SAAS) YQ Zhang, ZL Wu, et al. Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences (XAAS) M Reynolds. CIMMYT R Trethowan. University of Sydney, Australia

GCP General Research Meeting

27‒30 September 2013, Lisbon, Portugal

Ruilian Jing

(G7010.02.01)

Objective

Implementing standardized drought and heat phenotyping protocols to physiologically evaluate genetic populations and germplasm resources in China

Using MARS and the outputs of previous QTL studies to improve water-use-efficiency and heat tolerance of wheat in China − Marker assisted recurrent selection

− Introgression of known QTLs into local Chinese cultivars

270 historical winter wheat accessions 60 candidate SSR markers in six chromosome regions

QTL for plant height under multi-water regimes --- linkage mapping, association mapping and allele pyramiding

Wu et al., J. Exp. Bot., 2010, 61: 2923–2937 Zhang et al., Planta, 2011, 234: 891–902

Beneficial allele detection for DT and HT improvement

Phenotypic effects of QTL alleles on plant height

Zhang et al., Mol Breeding, 2013, 32: 327–338

a: plant height and number of alleles with negative effects on height b: plant height and number of alleles with positive effects on height

Number of elite alleles Number of elite alleles

Plant height of lines pyramided alleles 9 lines: 70.9 cm (Xgwm11-1BA208, Xwmc349-4BA103 and Xcfd23-4DA202)

4 lines: 112.8 cm (Xwmc349-4BA101 and Xcfd23-4DA205)

SWSC and TGW of modern cultivars from different decades under four water regimes

SWSC: stem water-soluble carbohydrates ;SWSCF: SWSC at flowering stage; SWSCG: SWSC at grain-filling stage

Favorable allele detection and pyramiding of SWSC and TGW in wheat

Single SWSC-favorable allele contributing to significantly higher 1000-grain weight

Accumulation (A) and frequency distribution (B) of 16 favorable alleles in modern cultivars from different decades

Confirmation and selection of QTLs for physiological traits associated with DT and HT

11 markers linked with two QTLs QTLs for parameters of chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics (Fv/Fm, 9) Canopy temperature depression (CTD, 12) Stem water soluble carbohydrate (SWSC, 31) Chlorophyll content (CC, 29) Plant height (PH, 5)

Using joint linkage-association mapping, 70 validated QTL markers for physiological traits related to drought and heat tolerance were selected as candidate markers for marker assisted recurrent selection (MARS).

Six populations selected for MARS

Original cross Generation No. of line

Polymorphic marker

Top line New cross

Jinmai 47×shaanyou 225 BC3F5 215 23 10 20F2

Jingdong 8×Aikang 58 F2:4 207 36 8 16F1

Yannong 19×Yunhan 618-2 F6 395 13 9 15F2; 18F1

Hengguan 35×Jifeng 3703 F3:4 320 27 17 46F1 Chang 6878×Chang 4738 F2:4 220 12 13 37F1

Xinchun 6×PASTOR F5 224 19 19 10F2; 30F1

Six populations were selected based on the SNP polymorphism between 25 parent pairs used in the original crosses by KBioscience UK.

Based on both phenotyping and genotyping diversities, 8-19 top lines have been selected from the populations for pyramiding the beneficial alleles.

Total of 192 crosses, including F1 and F2 lines have been developed.

Populations developed for MARS

Before winter

After winter

Grain filling stage

Phenotyping of GCP reference set WPHYSGP in three Chinese wheat zones

Winter Wheat Zone Changzhi, SAAS

CK

Sowed on 2011-10-20 Sowed on 2011-10-5

Facultative Wheat Zone Yuncheng, SAAS

Sowed on 2011-10-20

Before winter

After winter Before winter

Spring Wheat Zone Urumchi, XAAS

GCP materials F2 population BC1F1 population

GCP lines F2 population

Introgression of genetic variation from GCP lines into Chinese cultivars

BC1F1 population

25 elite lines were selected from the GCP reference set WPHYSGP based on the agronomic traits under the artificial protection during winter in winter wheat zones.

29 elite lines with favourable agronomic traits and high grain yield were selected in Urumqi, Xinjiang, Spring Wheat Zone, in well-watered, heat stress, and water stress environments.

These elite lines have been used to make more than 200 crosses with the local cultivars to the F2 ~ BC3F3 generations .

Advanced line selection

Two elite lines have been submitted to the National Trial. Seven elite lines have been submitted to the Provincial

Trial in Spring Wheat Zone, Facultative Wheat Zone and Winter Wheat Zone, respectively.

A number of advanced lines participant evaluating experiments in breeding programs.

Zhongmai 36 enters 2nd year National Trial

Xgwm 369 Xwmc 47

Zhongmai 36

Zhongmai 36, an elite line selected from a backcross [(Jinmai 47×Shaanyou 225)×Jinmai 47] BC3F5 has been recommended to enter the 2013-2014 National Trial for the 2nd year in Yellow-Huai River Valley in the rainfed environments. Zhongmai 36 possesses beneficial alleles of Xgwm 369 and Xwmc 47 for SWSC and TGW.

From left to right: Jinmai 47, Shaanyou 225, Zhongmai 36

Summary Research achievements: 70 QTL markers for DT and

HT have been used in MARS. Six populations were selected

and 192 crosses were made with tail top lines.

46 elite WPHYSGP lines were used as cross parents, made >200 crosses in the F2 ~ BC3F3 generations.

Two and 7 elite lines have been submitted to the National and Provincial Trial, respectively.

A group of young scientists are growing up.

Plan for next step: To validate more QTLs for

WUE and HT. To enhance MARS in the

breeding program. To deliver DT and HT lines

to breeders for breeding utilization.

To select elite lines based on genotyping and phenotyping for various wheat zones.

To exchange information and technology among breeders and geneticists for building the capacity of wheat molecular breeding.