Mapping main and epistatic effects and environmental interactions of QTLs for Phenological traits in normal and water deficit conditions in wheat

In order to Mapping main and epistatic effects and environmental interactions of QTLs for Phenological traits in normal and water deficit conditions in wheat, a recombinant inbred lines population, comprising 148 lines derived from a cross between two winter wheat cultivars, ‘YecoraRojo’ and ‘No. 49’, was evaluated in two location in Miandoab and Mahabad during 2014-2016. A linkage map including 177 microsatellites and 51 retrotransposons markers. Analysis of variance results showed that there was a significant difference between genotypes for all studied traits. QTL analysis based on composite interval mapping (CIM) showed in normal moisture conditions 2 QTL, 2 QTL × environments interactions, 14 additive × additive epistasis effects and 10 QTL × QTL× environment effects were significant. Phenotypic variance explained by main QTL varied from 2.6% to 7.14% for grain filling period and days to heading. In water deficit condition, 6 QTLs, 2 QTL × environments interactions,9 additive × additive inactions and 2 QTL × QTL × environment interactions effects were found, The highest and lowest explained phenotypic variation belonged to photosynthetic for grain filling period and days to heading with R2 value of 4.46 and 12.44 respectively. Also for days to heading and days to physiological maturity QTLs was detected on chromosomes 2A, 3A, 5A and 2B which coincided with Vernalization-related genes (VRN) and genes sensitive to photoperiod (Ppd) chromosomes in wheat.