Identification of genotyping-by-sequencing sequence tags associated with milling performance and end-use quality traits in hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

- A GBS approach was used to map 11 different end-use quality traits.
- RILs are segregating at the Glu-A1, Glu-B1, Glu-A3, Glu-B3 and Glu-D3 loci.
- Co-locating QTLs were identified on chromosomes 1BL, 5AS, 7AS, 7AL and 7BS.

Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) utilizes Next-Generation sequencing to genetically and physically map traits of interest. Here we use GBS to identify QTLs and SNP markers associated with milling and end-use quality traits in an hard red spring wheat recombinant inbred line (RIL) population. The RIL population and parents were phenotyped for eleven milling and end-use quality traits, and genotyped using GBS technology, simple sequence repeat (SSR) and allele specific sequence tagged site markers. A genetic map comprising 696 markers was used to map the end-use quality traits. Multiple QTL mapping identified 79 QTLs, 19 of which were declared 'major' as they explained greater than 15% of the phenotypic variance each. Transgressive segregants were observed for all phenotypes and co-locating QTLs controlling multiple quality traits were confirmed on chromosomes 1BL, 5AS, 7AS, 7AL and 7BS. To date, no GBS analysis to locate end-use quality QTLs in wheat has been conducted, thus the reporting and validation of these GBS sequence tags and their associated QTLs will shed light on the genetic architecture underlying these quantitative traits and assist wheat breeders in developing cultivars with favorable alleles through the use of marker assisted selection.