QTL mapping rolling, stomatal conductance and dimension traits of excised leaves in the Bala x Azucena recombinant inbred population of rice

The identification of markers linked to genes contributing to drought resistance promises opportunities to breed high yielding rice varieties for drought prone areas. Several studies using different mapping populations have previously identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for traits theoretically related to drought resistance. A mapping population of 176 F-6 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from two upland rice varieties with contrasting aboveground drought avoidance traits (Bala and Azucena) with a linkage map of 157 markers was used to map QTLs for aboveground leaf morphological and physiological traits related to drought avoidance. Plants were grown for 6 weeks under controlled environmental conditions with three replications. Leaves were excised and placed on a balance. The rate of leaf rolling and water loss was recorded, after which leaf area, dry weight and specific leaf area were characterized. A simple method of estimating time to stomatal closure was employed. A total of 13 QTLs were detected for leaf morphological traits, three for initial transpiration and four for the proportion of water loss required to reach a specific advanced state of leaf rolling. No QTLs were detected for time of stomatal closure or speed of leaf rolling, nor for either water loss or transpiration at stomatal closure despite clear parental differences and moderate heritabilities in most of these traits. The co-location of QTLs for traits measured here and for drought avoidance previously reported from field experiments on chromosome 1, 3 and 5 link the genetics of drought resistance to leaf dimensions and physiology. However, a physiological explanation for a QTL for drought avoidance on chromosome 7 remains elusive. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.