Mapping QTLs for pre-harvest sprouting traits in the spring wheat cross 'RL4452/AC Domain'

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major downgrading factors for grain producers and can significantly reduce end-use quality. PHS resistance is a complex trait influenced by genotype, environment and plant morphological factors. A population of 185 doubled haploid (DH) lines from the spring wheat cross 'RL4452/AC Domain' were used as the mapping population to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with three PHS traits, germination index (GI), sprouting index (SI) and falling number (FN). Six major QTLs linked with PHS traits were mapped on bread wheat chromosomes 3A, 3D, 4A (2 loci), 4B and 7D. 'AC Domain' alleles contributed to PHS resistance on 3A, 4A (locus-2) and 4B, and 'RL4452' alleles contributed resistance on 3D, 4A (locus-1) and 7D. QTLs detected on chromosome 4B controlling FN (QFN.crc-4B), GI (QGI.crc-4B) and SI (QSI.crc-4B) were coincident, and explained the largest amount of phenotypic variation in FN (22%), GI (67%) and SI (26%), respectively.