HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Supplemental Fig. 1 Supplemental Table 1 Supplemental Table 2 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Robins, J. G. Articles by Brummer, E. C. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Robins, J. G. Articles by Brummer, E. C. Agricola Articles by Robins, J. G. Articles by Brummer, E. C. Related Collections Crop Genetics

CROP BREEDING & GENETICS

Genetic Mapping of Biomass Production in Tetraploid Alfalfa

^a USDA-ARS Forage and Range Research Lab., Logan, UT 84322
^b Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding, Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA 50011; E. Charles Brummer current address: Center for Applied Technologies, Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
^c USDA-ARS Soybean Genomics and Improvement Lab., Beltsville, MD 20705
^d Dept. of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY 14853

^* Corresponding author (brummer{at}uga.edu)

Biomass production represents a fundamental biological process of both ecological and agricultural significance. The genetic basis of biomass production is unknown but asssumed to be complex. We developed a full sib, F₁ mapping population of autotetraploid Medicago sativa (alfalfa) derived from an intersubspecific cross that was known to produce heterosis for biomass production. We evaluated the population for biomass production over several years at three locations (Ames, IA, Nashua, IA, and Ithaca, NY) and concurrently developed a genetic linkage map using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) molecular markers. Transgressive segregants, many of which exhibited high levels of heterosis, were identified in each environment. Despite the complexities of mapping within autotetraploid populations, single-marker analysis of variance identified 41 marker alleles, many on linkage groups 5 and 7, associated with biomass production in at least one of the sampling periods. Seven alleles were associated with biomass production in more than one of the sampling periods. Favorable alleles were contributed by both parents, one of which is from the M. sativa subsp. falcata germplasm. Thus, increased biomass production alleles can be gleaned from unadapted germplasm. Further, the positive quantitative trait locus (QTL) alleles from the parents are partially complementary, suggesting these loci may play a role in biomass production heterosis.

Abbreviations: FWER, familywise error rate • LG, linkage group • QTL, quantitative trait locus • RFLP, restriction fragment length polymorphism • SSR, simple sequence repeat

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. J. Ariss and G. J. Vandemark Assessment of Genetic Diversity among Nondormant and Semidormant Alfalfa Populations Using Sequence-Related Amplified Polymorphisms Crop Sci., November 7, 2007; 47(6): 2274 - 2284. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. G. Robins, G. R. Bauchan, and E. C. Brummer Genetic Mapping Forage Yield, Plant Height, and Regrowth at Multiple Harvests in Tetraploid Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Crop Sci., January 22, 2007; 47(1): 11 - 18. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]