Identification of genetic factors influencing salt stress tolerance in white clover (Trifolium repens L.) by QTL analysis

• Published in: Theoretical and applied genetics Vol. 120; no. 3; pp. 607 - 619
• Main Authors: Wang, Junping, Drayton, Michelle C, George, Julie, Cogan, Noel O. I, Baillie, Rebecca C, Hand, Melanie L, Kearney, Gavin A, Erb, Stacey, Wilkinson, Tania, Bannan, Nathaniel R, Forster, John W, Smith, Kevin F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01-02-2010; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Chromosome Mapping; Classical genetics, quantitative genetics, hybrids; Clover; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic aspects; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Identification and classification; Life Sciences; Methods; Original Paper; Phenotype; Plant Biochemistry; Plant Breeding/Biotechnology; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Pteridophyta, spermatophyta; Quantitative trait loci; Quantitative Trait Loci - genetics; Quantitative Trait, Heritable; Salt stress (Botany); Salt-Tolerance - drug effects; Salt-Tolerance - genetics; Sodium Chloride - pharmacology; Stress, Physiological - drug effects; Stress, Physiological - genetics; Trifolium - drug effects; Trifolium - genetics; Trifolium - growth & development; Trifolium repens; Vegetals; Leaf Number; Positive Additive Effect; Salt Stress; White Clover; Salt Tolerance; Agronomic character; Quantitative character; Tolerance; Stress; Salinity; Salt; Leguminosae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Genetics; Genetic identification; Spermatophyta; Agriculture; Trifolium repens
• ISSN: 0040-5752; 1432-2242
• DOI: 10.1007/s00122-009-1179-y

Allotetraploid (2n = 4x = 32) white clover (Trifolium repens L.) is the most commonly cultivated legume component of temperate pastures, sown in swards with a companion grass species. Genetic control of growth performance of white clover on saline land is highly important for dairy industries, due to increasing soil salinity problems. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for salinity tolerance in terms of vegetative growth under stress. Two parental genetic maps consisting of 213 and 159 marker loci and spanning 1,973.0 and 1,837.6 cM, respectively, were constructed using simple sequence repeat (SSR) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers from a two-way pseudo-test cross F₁ population derived from pair-crossing of the Haifa₂ and LCL₂ genotypes. A total of 8 unique genomic regions on 8 linkage groups (LGs) of the Haifa₂ parental map and 6 unique regions on 5 LGs in the LCL₂ parental map were associated with plant growth under salt stress and relative growth under stress, as compared to control conditions. The results of this study indicate that salt tolerance in white clover is controlled by multiple QTLs, some at common locations, but each of limited magnitude. Location of these QTLs provides the genetic basis and potential for pyramiding of salt tolerance genes in breeding improvement.