Identification of QTL from Winter Wheat for Genetic Improvement of Spring Wheat

Introgression of the winter gene pool into spring wheat is being considered as one of the strategies to break through the yield plateau. In that spring and winter wheat in Montana have been selected for many of the same traits, and the germplasm pools have been largely separate, it is likely that favorable genes exist in one germplasm base that may be useful in the other group. This study is to identify QTLs associated with grain yield and yield-related trait to use genes from winter wheat that will provide a yield advantage to spring wheat. A genetic map generated for the Choteau/spring version of yellowstone RILs allowed identification of a QTL for grain yield consistent over environments, located on chromosome 3A, 3B and 4A. The QTL on chromosome 3A explained 9–17% of the variation of grain yield and co-segregated with a QTL for seed number per spike. The allele for high grain yield significantly increased grain yield by 13%. The allele for high grain yield also had a significant positive effect on seed number in RIL population.