Genome-wide association analysis of plant architecture traits using doubled haploid lines derived from different cycles of the Iowa Stiff Stalk Synthetic maize population

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Dec 4:14:1294507. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1294507. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Selection in the Iowa Stiff Stalk Synthetic (BSSS) maize population for high yield, grain moisture, and root and stalk lodging has indirectly modified plant architecture traits that are important for adaptation to high plant density. In this study, we developed doubled haploid (DH) lines from the BSSS maize population in the earliest cycle of recurrent selection (BSSS), cycle 17 of reciprocal recurrent selection, [BSSS(R)17] and the cross between the two cycles [BSSS/BSSS(R)C17]. We aimed to determine the phenotypic variation and changes in agronomic traits that have occurred through the recurrent selection program in this population and to identify genes or regions in the genome associated with the plant architecture changes observed in the different cycles of selection. We conducted a per se evaluation of DH lines focusing on high heritability traits important for adaptation to high planting density and grain yield. Trends for reducing flowering time, anthesis-silking interval, ear height, and the number of primary tassel branches in BSSS(R)17 DH lines compared to BSSS and BSSS/BSSS(R)C17 DH lines were observed. Additionally, the BSSS(R)C17 DH lines showed more upright flag leaf angles. Using the entire panel of DH lines increased the number of SNP markers identified within candidate genes associated with plant architecture traits. The genomic regions identified for plant architecture traits in this study may help to elucidate the genetic basis of these traits and facilitate future work about marker-assisted selection or map-based cloning in maize breeding programs.

Keywords: Zea mays; candidate gene; diversity; genetic resources; quantitative trait locus.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (grant numbers: IOW04714, IOW05520; IOW05510; IOW05656; NIFA award 2018-51181-28419 and 2020-51300-32180), US. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, the Iowa State University Plant Sciences Institute, Iowa State University Crop Bioengineering Center, R.F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding, and the K.J. Frey Chair in Agronomy at Iowa State University.