title: Identification of aerenchyma formation-related QTL in barley that can be effective in breeding for waterlogging tolerance.
abstract: Aerenchyma formation after 7 days of waterlogging in commercial potting mixture can be a reliable, fast, and widely utilized approach for the selection of waterlogging tolerant barley genotypes. One major QTL for aerenchyma formation after 7 days of waterlogging treatment was identified and the newly developed markers explained 44 % of the phenotypic variance. This QTL can now be effectively used in barley breeding programs. Waterlogging is one of the important limiting conditions for crop yield and productivity. The main feature of waterlogged soils is oxygen deprivation, due to slow gas diffusion in water. Decreased oxygen content in waterlogged soils leads to the oxygen deficiency in plant tissues, resulting in reduced energy availability for plants. Rapidly induced aerenchyma formation is critical to maintaining adequate oxygen supply and overall waterlogging tolerance in barley. In this study, we have proved that quantifying aerenchyma formation after 7 days of waterlogging in commercial potting mixture can be a reliable, fast, and widely utilised approach for the selection of waterlogging tolerant barley genotypes, which is supported by measurements of redox potential (an indicator of anaerobic conditions). This protocol was also used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) in a doubled haploid population of barley from the cross between Yerong (tolerant) and Franklin (sensitive) genotypes. The QTL for aerenchyma formation and root porosity were at the same location as the waterlogging tolerance QTL. Seven new markers were developed and added onto this region on chromosome 4H. One major QTL for aerenchyma formation after 7 days waterlogging treatment explained 44.0 % of the phenotypic variance. This successful QTL for aerenchyma formation can be effectively used in the marker assisted selection to improve waterlogging tolerance in barley.
authors.affiliation: School of Land and Food, University of Tasmania, P.O. Box 46, Kings Meadows, TAS, 7249, Australia.
authors.forename: Xuechen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Western Australian State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Gaofeng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: School of Land and Food, University of Tasmania, P.O. Box 46, Kings Meadows, TAS, 7249, Australia.
authors.forename: Sergey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shabala
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koutoulis
authors.affiliation: School of Land and Food, University of Tasmania, P.O. Box 46, Kings Meadows, TAS, 7249, Australia.
authors.forename: Lana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shabala
authors.affiliation: School of Land and Food, University of Tasmania, P.O. Box 46, Kings Meadows, TAS, 7249, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Western Australian State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Chengdao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Land and Food, University of Tasmania, P.O. Box 46, Kings Meadows, TAS, 7249, Australia. mzhou@utas.edu.au.|School of Agriculture, Yangtze University, 434025, Jingzhou, People's Republic of China. mzhou@utas.edu.au.
authors.forename: Meixue
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D055868:Floods; D005819:Genetic Markers; D005838:Genotype; D001467:Hordeum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D000069600:Plant Breeding; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000502:physiology; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D014867:Water