The identification of stable quantitative trait locus (QTL) for yield-related traits and tightly linked molecular markers is important for improving wheat grain yield. In the present study, six yield-related traits in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the Zhongmai 578/Jimai 22 cross were phenotyped in five environments. The parents and 262 RILs were genotyped using the wheat 50K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. A high-density genetic map was constructed with 1 501 non-redundant bin markers, spanning 2 384.95 cM. Fifty-three QTLs for six yield-related traits were mapped on chromosomes 1D (2), 2A (9), 2B (6), 2D, 3A (2), 3B (2), 4A (5), 4D, 5B (8), 5D (2), 7A (7), 7B (3) and 7D (5), which explained 2.7–25.5% of the phenotypic variances. Among the 53 QTLs, 23 were detected in at least three environments, including seven for thousand-kernel weight (TKW), four for kernel length (KL), four for kernel width (KW), three for average grain filling rate (GFR), one for kernel number per spike (KNS) and four for plant height (PH). The stable QTLs QKl.caas-2A.1, QKl.caas-7D, QKw.caas-7D, QGfr.caas-2B.1, QGfr.caas-4A, QGfr.caas-7A and QPh. caas-2A.1 are likely to be new loci. Six QTL-rich regions on 2A, 2B, 4A, 5B, 7A and 7D, showed pleiotropic effects on various yield traits. TaSus2-2B and WAPO-A1 are potential candidate genes for the pleiotropic regions on 2B and 7A, respectively. The pleiotropic QTL on 7D for TKW, KL, KW and PH was verified in a natural population. The results of this study enrich our knowledge of the genetic basis underlying yield-related traits and provide molecular markers for high-yield wheat breeding.

Stripe rust is a serious foliar disease posing a grave threat to wheat production worldwide.  The most economical and environmentally friendly way to control this disease is to breed and deploy resistant cultivars.  Zhongmai 175 is an elite winter wheat cultivar conferring resistance to a broad spectrum of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) races.  To identify the resistance gene in the cultivar, genetic analysis was conducted using the parents, F₁, F₂ and F_2:3 populations derived from the cross of Lunxuan 987/Zhongmai 175.  Segregations in the F₂ and F_2:3 populations indicated a single dominant gene conferring resistance to stripe rust in Zhongmai 175, temporarily designated YrZM175.  Bulked segregant analysis (BSA) with wheat iSelect 90K SNP array determined a preliminary location of YrZM175.  Subsequently, YrZM175 was mapped on chromosome 2AS using simple sequence repeats (SSR), expressed sequence tags (EST) and newly-developed kompetitive allele specific PCR (KASP) markers, being flanked by Xgwm636 and Xwmc382 at genetic distances of 4.9 and 8.1 cM, respectively.  Comparison of reaction patterns of YrZM175 on 23 Pst races or isolates and pedigree analysis with other genes on chromosome 2AS suggested that it is likely to be a new gene for resistance to stripe rust.  The resistance gene and linked molecular markers will be useful in wheat breeding targeting for the improvement of stripe rust resistance.

    Starch is the major component of wheat flour and serves as a multifunctional ingredient in food industry. The objective of the present study was to investigate starch granule size distribution of Chinese wheat cultivars, and to compare structure and functionality of starches in four leading cultivars Zhongmai 175, CA12092, Lunxuan 987, and Zhongyou 206. A wide variation in volume percentages of A- and B-type starch granules among genotypes was observed. Volume percentages of A- and B-type granules had ranges of 68.4–88.9% and 9.7–27.9% in the first cropping seasons, 74.1–90.1% and 7.2–25.3% in the second. Wheat cultivars with higher volume percentages of A- and B-type granules could serve as parents in breeding program for selecting high and low amylose wheat cultivars, respectively. In comparison with the B-type starch granules, the A-type granules starch showed difference in three aspects: (1) higher amount of ordered short-range structure and a lower relative crystallinity, (2) higher gelatinization onset (T_o) temperatures and enthalpies (ΔH), and lower gelatinization conclusion temperatures (T_c), (3) greater peak, though, and final viscosity, and lower breakdown viscosity and pasting temperature. It provides important information for breeders to develop potentially useful cultivars with particular functional properties of their starches suited to specific applications.

The Italian wheat cv. Strampelli displays high resistance to powdery mildew caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici. The objective of this study was to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for resistance to powdery mildew in a population of 249 F2:3 lines from Strampelli/Huixianhong. Adult plant powdery mildew tests were conducted over 2 yr in Beijing and 1 yr in Anyang and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used for genotyping. QTLs Qpm.caas-3BS, Qpm.caas-5BL.1, and Qpm.caas-7DS were consistent across environments whereas, Qpm.caas-2BS.1 found in two environments, explained 0.4-1.6, 5.5-6.9, 27.1-34.5, and 1.0-3.5% of the phenotypic variation respectively. Qpm.caas-7DS corresponded to the genomic location of Pm38/Lr34/Yr18. Qpm.caas-4BL was identified in Anyang 2010 and Beijing 2011, accounting for 1.9-3.5% of phenotypic variation. Qpm.caas-2BS.1 and Qpm.caas-5BL.1 contributed by Strampelli and Qpm.caas-3BS by Huixianhong, seem to be new QTL for powdery mildew resistance. Qpm.caas-4BL, Qpm.caas-5BL.3, and Qpm.caas-7DS contributed by Strampelli appeared to be in the same genomic regions as those mapped previously for stripe rust resistance in the same population, indicating that these loci conferred resistance to both stripe rust and powdery mildew. Strampelli could be a valuable genetic resource for improving durable resistance to both powdery mildew and stripe rust in wheat.

Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is a devastating wheat disease worldwide. The Chinese wheat cultivar Chuanmai 32 has shown stable resistance to stripe rust for 10 yr in Sichuan Province, a hotspot for stripe rust epidemics. The objective of the present study was to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for adult-plant resistance (APR) to stripe rust in a population of 140 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from Chuanmai 32/Chuanyu 12. Field trials were conducted in Chengdu and Yaan, Sichuan, from 2005 to 2008, providing stripe rust reaction data for 6 environments. 797 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were screened for association with stripe rust reaction, initially through bulked segregant analysis (BSA). Based on the mean disease values averaged across environments, the broad-sense heritability of maximum disease severity (MDS) was 0.75. Two QTLs for stripe rust resistance were detected by composite interval mapping (CIM). They were designated QYr.caas-3BL and QYr.caas-3BS and explained from 6.6 to 20.1%, respectively, of the phenotypic variance across environments. QYr.caas-3BL came from Chuanmai 32; QYr.caas-3BS with lower effect was from the susceptible parent Chuanyu 12. Both QTLs appear to be new.

Dumpling is one of the most important traditional wheat products in China. Dumpling quality is determined by the characteristics of both flour and filling, thus improvement of flour quality plays an important role in improving dumpling quality. Thirty-nine Shandong winter wheat cultivars and advanced lines sown in Jinan, Shandong Province, China, in the 2008-2009 cropping season were used to determine genetic variation in Chinese raw dumpling quality and its relationship with flour characteristics. Large variations were observed for protein quality parameters in comparison with starch properties. Variation in color of the raw dumpling sheet was broader than that of sensory evaluation parameters of boiled dumpling among tested wheat cultivars, indicating the large influence of filling on dumpling color. Two cultivars, Jimai 20 and Zimai 12, were identified as possessing very good quality of raw dumpling, and 21 cultivars and advanced lines showed good quality. Protein and total starch content influenced the L* value of raw dumpling sheets. L* value at 0 and 2 h after sheeting were significantly influenced by protein content (r=-0.46 and -0.52, P<0.01) and total starch content (r=0.55 and 0.57, P<0.01), respectively. Flour yellow pigment was significantly corrected with a* (r=-0.67 and -0.62, P<0.01) and b* (r=0.87 and 0.84, P<0.01) value of raw dumpling sheets at 0 and 2 h after sheeting, respectively. Gluten strength parameters such as farinograph mixing tolerance index (MTI, r=-0.55, P<0.01) were positively associated with appearance. MTI and energy were also significantly and positively correlated with elasticity of raw dumpling, with r=-0.54 and 0.47 (P<0.01). The positive relationships between peak viscosity (r=0.51, P<0.01), breakdown (r=0.54, P<0.01), and smoothness of raw dumpling were also observed. Therefore, it is suggested that breeding programs should give more attention to gluten strength and starch pasting parameters for raw dumpling quality improvement.

Large grain is a favorable trait for appearance quality and large sink potential in wheat breeding.  A stable QTL QGl.caas-5BS for grain length was previously identified in a recombinant inbred line population from the cross of Zhongmai 871 (ZM871) and its sister line Zhongmai 895 (ZM895).  Here, a BC₁F₆ residual heterozygous line was selected from the cross of ZM871/ZM895//ZM871 population, and six heterozygous recombinant plants were identified in the BC₁F₇ population from self-pollination of the heterozygous line.  QGl.caas-5BS was delimited into an interval of approximately 2.2 Mb flanked by markers Kasp_5B33 and Kasp_5B2 (25.3-27.5 Mb) through phenotyping and genotyping the secondary mapping populations derived from these heterozygous recombinant plants.  Five genes were predicted as candidates of QGl.caas-5BS based on sequence polymorphism and differential expression analyses.  Further mutation analysis showed that TraesCS5B02G026800 is likely the causal gene of QGl.caas-5BS.  A gene-specific marker Kasp_5B_Gl for TraesCS5B02G026800 was developed, and a significant genetic effect of QGl.caas-5BS on grain length was identified in a validation population including 166 cultivars using the marker.  These findings lay a good foundation for map-based cloning of QGl.caas-5BS and provide a breeding-applicable marker for the improvement of grain length in wheat.