Identification of Genes, Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) and Diagnostic Markers Associated with Specific End-Use Quality Traits in Soft Red Winter (SRW) Wheat

QTL mapping to identify molecular markers associated with improved milling and baking quality in two soft red winter wheat populations. Milling and baking quality traits are highly heritable and well-suited for QTL mapping. 186 Recombinant Inbred Lines from the cross Pioneer ‘25R47’ x Jamestown and 107 Double Haploids from the cross Pioneer ‘26R46’ x Tribute were genotyped using the Illumina Microarray 90k SNP chip. By summer 2017, both populations will have been grown in two locations (Blacksburg and Warsaw, Virginia) over two years, for a total of four location/year environments, respectively. Populations are replicated across location and not within due to the high cost of baking and milling analysis. Phenotypic analysis was performed at the USDA ARS Soft Wheat Quality Lab in Wooster, Ohio. Twelve individual traits influencing baking and milling quality were analyzed. QTL analysis utilizes QTLcartographer, ICImapping, and r/qtl. Identified markers will be used to facilitate marker assisted selection (MAS) in Virginia Tech’s small grain breeding and genetics program. High throughput genotyping of wheat quality traits is desirable as quality testing in prohibitively expensive and time consuming, limiting the number of samples that can be tested annually.