High-Throughput Phenotyping and QTL Mapping Reveals the Genetic Architecture of Maize Plant Growth.
With increasing demand for novel traits in crop breeding, the plant research community faces the challenge of quantitatively analyzing the structure and function of large numbers of plants. A clear goal of high-throughput phenotyping is to bridge the gap between genomics and phenomics. In this study, we quantified 106 traits from a maize (Zea mays) recombinant inbred line population (n= 167) across 16 developmental stages using the automatic phenotyping platform. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping with a high-density genetic linkage map, including 2,496 recombinant bins, was used to uncover the genetic basis of these complex agronomic traits, and 988 QTLs have been identified for all investigated traits, including three QTL hotspots. Biomass accumulation and final yield were predicted using a combination of dissected traits in the early growth stage. These results reveal the dynamic genetic architecture of maize plant growth and enhance ideotype-based maize breeding and prediction.
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (X.Z., F.Q., W.L., Y.X., L.X., W.Y., J.Y.), College of Engineering (C.H., D.W., L.D., K.W., W.Y.), and Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (G.C.), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China; and.|Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Biomedical Photonics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China (Q.L.).
Xuehai
0000-0001-7734-706X
X
Zhang
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (X.Z., F.Q., W.L., Y.X., L.X., W.Y., J.Y.), College of Engineering (C.H., D.W., L.D., K.W., W.Y.), and Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (G.C.), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China; and.|Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Biomedical Photonics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China (Q.L.).
Chenglong
C
Huang
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (X.Z., F.Q., W.L., Y.X., L.X., W.Y., J.Y.), College of Engineering (C.H., D.W., L.D., K.W., W.Y.), and Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (G.C.), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China; and.|Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Biomedical Photonics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China (Q.L.).
Di
D
Wu
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (X.Z., F.Q., W.L., Y.X., L.X., W.Y., J.Y.), College of Engineering (C.H., D.W., L.D., K.W., W.Y.), and Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (G.C.), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China; and.|Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Biomedical Photonics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China (Q.L.).
Feng
F
Qiao
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (X.Z., F.Q., W.L., Y.X., L.X., W.Y., J.Y.), College of Engineering (C.H., D.W., L.D., K.W., W.Y.), and Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (G.C.), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China; and.|Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Biomedical Photonics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China (Q.L.).
Wenqiang
W
Li
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (X.Z., F.Q., W.L., Y.X., L.X., W.Y., J.Y.), College of Engineering (C.H., D.W., L.D., K.W., W.Y.), and Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (G.C.), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China; and.|Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Biomedical Photonics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China (Q.L.).
Lingfeng
L
Duan
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (X.Z., F.Q., W.L., Y.X., L.X., W.Y., J.Y.), College of Engineering (C.H., D.W., L.D., K.W., W.Y.), and Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (G.C.), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China; and.|Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Biomedical Photonics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China (Q.L.).
Ke
K
Wang
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (X.Z., F.Q., W.L., Y.X., L.X., W.Y., J.Y.), College of Engineering (C.H., D.W., L.D., K.W., W.Y.), and Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (G.C.), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China; and.|Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Biomedical Photonics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China (Q.L.).
Yingjie
Y
Xiao
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (X.Z., F.Q., W.L., Y.X., L.X., W.Y., J.Y.), College of Engineering (C.H., D.W., L.D., K.W., W.Y.), and Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (G.C.), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China; and.|Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Biomedical Photonics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China (Q.L.).
Guoxing
G
Chen
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (X.Z., F.Q., W.L., Y.X., L.X., W.Y., J.Y.), College of Engineering (C.H., D.W., L.D., K.W., W.Y.), and Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (G.C.), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China; and.|Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Biomedical Photonics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China (Q.L.).
Qian
Q
Liu
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (X.Z., F.Q., W.L., Y.X., L.X., W.Y., J.Y.), College of Engineering (C.H., D.W., L.D., K.W., W.Y.), and Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (G.C.), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China; and.|Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Biomedical Photonics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China (Q.L.).
Lizhong
0000-0003-0490-1474
L
Xiong
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (X.Z., F.Q., W.L., Y.X., L.X., W.Y., J.Y.), College of Engineering (C.H., D.W., L.D., K.W., W.Y.), and Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (G.C.), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China; and ywn@mail.hzau.edu.cn yjianbing@mail.hzau.edu.cn.|Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Biomedical Photonics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China (Q.L.) ywn@mail.hzau.edu.cn yjianbing@mail.hzau.edu.cn.
Wanneng
W
Yang
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (X.Z., F.Q., W.L., Y.X., L.X., W.Y., J.Y.), College of Engineering (C.H., D.W., L.D., K.W., W.Y.), and Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (G.C.), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China; and ywn@mail.hzau.edu.cn yjianbing@mail.hzau.edu.cn.|Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Biomedical Photonics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China (Q.L.) ywn@mail.hzau.edu.cn yjianbing@mail.hzau.edu.cn.
Jianbing
0000-0001-8650-7811
J
Yan
D018533:Biomass; D002874:Chromosome Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D032461:Chromosomes, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods; D005838:Genotype; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010641:Phenotype; D000069600:Plant Breeding / Q000379:methods; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci / Q000235:genetics*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development