| Title: | Molecular markers associated with water use efficiency and leaf ash in soybean |
| Authors: | Mian, M.A.R., Bailey, M.A., Ashley, D.A., Wells, R., Carter, T.E. Jr., Parrott, W.A., Boerma, H.R. |
| Source: | Crop Sci. 1996, 36(5):1252-1257 |
| Abstract: | Water use efficiency (WUE) is an important trait that has been associated with drought tolerance of crop plants, and leaf ash (LASH) is generally related to WUE. A restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) map was constructed from a soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) population of 120 F-4-derived lines from a cross of 'Young' times PI 416937. The purpose of this research was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with WUE and LASH in 36-d-old, greenhouse-grown plants. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with six replications. Significant (P lt 0.01) phenotypic differences were detected among the lines for both traits. A total of four and six independent RFLP markers were associated with WUE and LASH and if combined each group of markers would explain 38 and 53% of the variability in the respective traits. One marker locus (cr497-1), on USDA Linkage Group J, explained 13.2% of the variation in WUE indicating the presence of a major QTL. The LASH was negatively correlated with WUE (r = -0.40**), and two QTL were associated with both WUE and LASH. For each of these QTL, the allele for increased WUE was associated with reduced LASH |