Assoziationskartierung in einer Hybridroggen-Zuchtpopulation

Rye (Secale cereale L.) is mainly bred as a hybrid crop in Germany. We have exploited the potential of association mapping in a breeding population of hybrid rye to identify molecular markers for complex inherited traits. Testcross performance was evaluated in replicated field trials for plant height at nine and thousand grain weight at four locations in 2010. Whole genome profiling using Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) markers allowed to characterize the structure of the genetic variation in experimental hybrids of this population and proved to be suitable for association mapping in the allogamous rye. We were able to identify markers associated with both traits at several significance levels in testcross progeny between elite inbred lines originating from two heterotic gene pools of rye. Sequence information on associated markers enabled a comparative genetic approach of QTL mapping and revealed, that the rice gene models orthologous to markers associated with QTL in rye are located in segments of the rice genome, which have previously been shown to carry QTL for the described traits as well. The discovered markers open new perspectives for the characterization and validation of QTL alleles and may contribute to strengthen the efficiency of hybrid rye breeding via marker assisted selection for superior alleles.