The objectives of WP1 are to:
- Identify key loci involved in root growth and architecture in response to abiotic stresses in four species ofcereals and assess to what extent the genetic basis for these traits is conserved among cereals.
- Assess to what extent root plasticity is a generic mechanism or depends on the type and timing of the stress.
- Compare these loci with those identified for constitutive root traits.
- Provide breeders with markers tagging favourable haplotypes at those QTLs/genes and potential donors forroot features.
WP1 will analyse the genetic basis of root architectural traits in four cereals species (barley, durum wheat,maize and rice) in response to three different stresses, namely drought, P and N deficiency. The four target cereal species are studied in this WP to take advantage of the available genetic stocks (mapping populations,association panels and/or mutants) and the information already accumulated on them since part of them have already been phenotyped or genotyped.
We aim at mapping loci (genes and QTLs) controlling the target traits mainly through linkage mapping based on biparental populations and association mapping based onsuitable panels of unrelated accessions. Because of the large population size required for such purpose,stress combinations will not be investigated in this WP. In the various phenotyping experiments, root features recommended by other WPs will be measured using standardized protocols defined in WP4. Models developed in WP5 will be used to derive additional parameters that will be submitted to the same genetic analyses than the observed root features.
We also plan to use (i) near-isogenic lines (NILs) produced in the framework of positional cloning projects or (ii) mutants to identify the network of genes involved. Other candidates will emerge through the work conductedin other WPs, notably WP3.
We will position all the loci detected in this project on consensus framework maps enabling comparisons across cereals. In addition, WP1 will be in charge of defining the sub-sets of genotypes to be used by other WPs and providing them with seeds at the beginning of the project.
A list of deliverables for this workpackages is available here
