Identification of QTLs Associated with Processing Quality and Appearance Quality of Common Wild Rice(Oryza rufipogon Griff.)

The objective of this study is to identify and exploit quantitative loci (QTLs) associated with grain quality from common wild rice(O. rufipogon Griff.). Using single-point analysis and chromosomal segment substitution methods, a total of 16 QTLs for 5 traits related to grain quality, including percent of brown rice, percent of head rice, percent of chalky grain, white core area and length width ratio, were detected using an introgression line population of Chinese common wild rice from Yuanjiang, Yunnan Province, with the background of indica cultivar (O.sativa L.) Teqing. Of 16 the QTLs detected in this study, the O. rufipogon-derived alleles of 10 QTLs contributed a desirable effect on Teqing background. One locus near SSR marker RM598 on chromosome 5 influencing both percent of chalky grain and length width ratio of rice grain was found and the allele from common wild rice increased grain length width ratio and decreased percent of chalky grain. One QTL for percent of chalky grain and white core area, explaining 14% and 9% of the phenotypic variance respectively, was detected near RM152 on chromosome 8 and the O. rufipogon-derived allele decreased percent of chalky grain and white core area. The results presented here might be useful in improvement of rice grain quality by marker-assisted selection and was also suggested that there was enormous potential for improving grain quality of cultivated rice utilizing the favorable genes of wild species in rice breeding program.