Molecular Mapping of QTLs Associated with Grain Elongation in Basmati Rice was undertaken to identify QTLs associated with grain elongation in basmati rice using BSA and whole genome sequencing based on F2 population derived from self pollinated F1 plants generated from a cross between Basmati 370 and Pusa Basmati 1121. The identified QTLs associated with grain elongation can be further used in basmati rice breeding programmes for grain elongation. To identify the QTLs associated with grain elongation the following objectives were designed  i. To accomplish morphological analysis for grain elongation along with the development of genotypic pools to carry out bulked segregant analysis in basmati rice  ii. To identify genomic regions associated with grain elongation using BSA-sequencing  and iii. To validate the identified QTLs associated with the grain elongation in basmati rice.
The enhancement of grain quality is one of the major targets that are focused upon by rice breeders to develop elite rice varieties. Diverse attributes are examined while determining the grain quality in rice which includes aroma, amylose content, gelatinization temperature, volume expansion and specifically, lengthwise grain elongation. Cooked GE is the most desirable feature of premium quality rice varieties such as Basmati that is influenced by starch properties. The inheritance of GE in rice has not been evidently illuminated because of its complex and uncertain pattern. In this study, we identified QTLs for GE in rice using bulked-segregant analysis and whole-genome sequencing based on an F2 population segregated from a cross between Basmati 370 and Pusa Basmati 1121 especially for GE characteristic. The QTLs were detected on chromosome 1, 2, 3 and 6 and were found to be located in the close proximity of starch biosynthetic genes such as granule-bound starch synthase I or Wx, starch synthases, starch branching enzymes, starch debranching enzymes, Pullulanase and ADP-Glc pyrophosphorylase. The identified QTLs can be further useful in rice breeding programs with increased grain elongation to enhance the export potential of Basmati rice.