In this study, 96 BC3F5 introgression lines derived from a cross between Hwaseong and O. rufipogon were genotyped with 131 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to identify and characterize quantitative traits loci (QTLs) associated with grain quality traits in rice. 96 BC3F5 lines displayed a wide range of variation for days to heading and agronomic traits. Results indicated that one major QTL (qDTH6) on chromosome 6 was associated with significant variation for days to heading. 83 lines without the O. rufipogon segment at qDTH6 were selected and analyzed for grain quality traits. QTL analysis was conducted for two groups, 96 and 83 introgression lines, and a total of 25 QTLs were detected for rice quality traits. 16 QTLs were detected in a group of 96 lines, 11 QTLs detected in a group of 83 lines, and 2 QTLs were commonly identified in both groups. Most of the QTLs detected in this study were located on the same or adjacent regions as those reported by the previous studies, and the wild alleles negatively affected quality traits. In contrast, the wild allele at qGCR9 for the glossiness of cooked rice on chromosome 9 contributed to an increase in glossiness which is positively correlated with rice eating quality. Three ILs with the wild allele at qGCR9 displayed better eating quality than the recurrent parent, Hwaseong, and also showed lower protein content. We can suggest that the cause of increased glossiness value is the lower protein content because two traits are negatively correlated each other. To confirm the effect of qGCR9, high density mapping of the qGCR9 with a series of NILs will be conducted.
