Genetic variation for the duration of pre-anthesis development in durum wheat and its interaction with vernalization treatment and photoperiod.
A recombinant inbred durum wheat population was grown under three contrasting regimes: long days following vernalization (LDV), long days without vernalization (LD), and short days following vernalization (SDV). The length of several pre-anthesis stages and the number of leaves and the phyllochron were measured. Different groups of genes were involved in determining the phenology in the three treatments, as demonstrated by a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. The length of the period required to reach the terminal spikelet stage was correlated with the time to anthesis only in the case of LDV- and LD-grown plants where the timing of anthesis depended on the final leaf number. However, for SDV-grown plants, anthesis date was more dependent on the length of the period between the terminal spikelet stage and anthesis and was independent of leaf number. The involvement of the phyllochron in determining the duration of pre-anthesis development was also treatment-dependent. QTL mapping of the various flowering time associated traits uncovered some novel loci (such as those associated with the phyllochron), in addition to confirming the presence of several well-established loci.
Unit of Agronomy, Field Crops and Genetics, Department of Agriculture, University of Sassari, Via De Nicola 1, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
Gavino
G
Sanna
Unit of Agronomy, Field Crops and Genetics, Department of Agriculture, University of Sassari, Via De Nicola 1, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
Francesco
F
Giunta
Unit of Agronomy, Field Crops and Genetics, Department of Agriculture, University of Sassari, Via De Nicola 1, 07100 Sassari, Italy motzo@uniss.it.
Rosella
R
Motzo
CRA Cereal Research Centre (CRA-CER), S.S. 16, km 675, 71122 Foggia, Italy.
Anna Maria
AM
Mastrangelo
CRA Cereal Research Centre (CRA-CER), S.S. 16, km 675, 71122 Foggia, Italy.
Pasquale
P
De Vita
D014644:Genetic Variation; D010641:Phenotype; D017440:Photoperiod; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D012621:Seasons; D014908:Triticum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*
Durum wheat; QTL.; leaf number; phenology; phyllochron; pre-anthesis