Elucidating the genetic architecture of yield components in pyramidale wheat (Triticum turgidum L.): a comparative approach using QTL analysis and genomic selection.
4 affiliations
- 1Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, 4-2-1 Shiroyamadai, Kizugawa City, Kyoto 619-0218 Japan.
- 2Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, 1-1-1 Tsushima-Naka, Kita-Ku, Okayama, 700-8530 Japan.
- 3Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8502 Japan.
- 4Office of Institutional Advancement and Communications, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Honmachi, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8501 Japan.
Abstract
Wheat grain yield is determined by three primary components, one of which is grain number per spike (GPS; or spike fertility). GPS is further determined by spikelet number per spike (StPS) and grain number per spikelet (GPSt). TN28, a pyramidale wheat accession, produces up to five grains per spikelet, substantially exceeding the number in typical cultivars. To elucidate the genetic architecture underlying TN28's superior traits and determine the optimal breeding strategy for trait introgression, we evaluated yield-related traits in a biparental F₂ population derived from TN28 × Langdon across three environments over two years using quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and genomic selection (GS). QTL analysis using two mapping approaches detected no stable QTLs other than known flowering genes, indicating that TN28's yield-related traits cannot be reliably introgressed via single- or few-marker selection. Conversely, GS using five prediction models demonstrated potential for accumulating favorable minor-effect alleles. The ridge regression model exhibited optimal performance for GPSt-related traits, with the top 20% of individuals selected on the basis of genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) achieving approximately 9% higher grain number per spikelet at the basal section (GPStB) and 7% higher grain number per spike (GPS) relative to the population mean. These results support that QTL mapping is effective for traits controlled by a single major-effect gene, whereas GS offers a more powerful strategy for traits controlled by multiple minor-effect genes. This study suggests that TN28's superior yield-related traits may arise from the cumulative contribution of numerous minor-effect genes and establishes GS as the preferred tool for their improvement in breeding programs.Supplementary information
The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11032-026-01728-8.
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BibTeX
@article{chen2026elucidating,
title = {{Elucidating the genetic architecture of yield components in pyramidale wheat (Triticum turgidum L.): a comparative approach using QTL analysis and genomic selection.}},
author = {Tiantian Chen and Kazusa Nishimura and Kazuki Murata and Takanori Yoshikawa and Kyoka Nagasaka and Takahiro Maki and Ko Motoki and Yu Kinoshita and Yu Iwahashi and Hiromo Inoue and Tetsuya Nakazaki and Ryohei Nakano},
journal = {Molecular breeding : new strategies in plant improvement},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1007/s11032-026-01728-8},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42890306},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Elucidating the genetic architecture of yield components in pyramidale wheat (Triticum turgidum L.): a comparative approach using QTL analysis and genomic selection.
AU - Tiantian Chen
AU - Kazusa Nishimura
AU - Kazuki Murata
AU - Takanori Yoshikawa
AU - Kyoka Nagasaka
AU - Takahiro Maki
AU - Ko Motoki
AU - Yu Kinoshita
AU - Yu Iwahashi
AU - Hiromo Inoue
AU - Tetsuya Nakazaki
AU - Ryohei Nakano
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/15
JO - Molecular breeding : new strategies in plant improvement
DO - 10.1007/s11032-026-01728-8
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42890306
AB - Wheat grain yield is determined by three primary components, one of which is grain number per spike (GPS; or spike fertility). GPS is further determined by spikelet number per spike (StPS) and grain number per spikelet (GPSt). TN28, a pyramidale wheat accession, produces up to five grains per spikelet, substantially exceeding the number in typical cultivars. To elucidate the genetic architecture underlying TN28's superior traits and determine the optimal breeding strategy for trait introgression, we evaluated yield-related traits in a biparental F₂ population derived from TN28 × Langdon across three environments over two years using quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and genomic selection (GS). QTL analysis using two mapping approaches detected no stable QTLs other than known flowering genes, indicating that TN28's yield-related traits cannot be reliably introgressed via single- or few-marker selection. Conversely, GS using five prediction models demonstrated potential for accumulating favorable minor-effect alleles. The ridge regression model exhibited optimal performance for GPSt-related traits, with the top 20% of individuals selected on the basis of genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) achieving approximately 9% higher grain number per spikelet at the basal section (GPStB) and 7% higher grain number per spike (GPS) relative to the population mean. These results support that QTL mapping is effective for traits controlled by a single major-effect gene, whereas GS offers a more powerful strategy for traits controlled by multiple minor-effect genes. This study suggests that TN28's superior yield-related traits may arise from the cumulative contribution of numerous minor-effect genes and establishes GS as the preferred tool for their improvement in breeding programs.Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11032-026-01728-8.
SN - 1572-9788
ER -