Prototype for developing SNP markers from GWAS and biparental QTL for rice panicle and grain traits

There is a large gap between genomewide association studies (GWAS) and developing markers that can be used in marker-assisted selection (MAS) schemes for cultivar improvement. This study is a prototype for developing markers using segregating single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for panicle architecture and grain shape traits identified by GWAS in the Rice Diversity Panel-1 and colocalized in QTL regions revealed by linkage mapping in the Estrela × NSFTV199 rice (Oryza sativa L.) population. Markers were developed from sequence variants suitable for reliable detection in regions surrounding the most significant SNPs identified in GWAS. Once developed, the markers were validated in three Japonica subspecies biparental populations, used to improve QTL mapping resolution, and employed to select potential parents for use in MAS. All marker alleles segregated in the rice tropical japonica subpopulation.