Quantitative trait loci mapping for resistance to maize streak virus in F2: 3 population of tropical maize

Open Access Article; Published online: 01 Feb 2020Maize streak virus (MSV) continues to be a major biotic constraint for maize production throughout Africa. Concerning the quantitative nature of inheritance of resistance to MSV disease (MSVD), we sought to identify new loci for MSV resistance in maize using F2:3 population. The mapping population was artificially inoculated with viruliferous leafhoppers under screenhouse and evaluated for MSVD resistance. Using 948 DArT markers, we identified 18 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with different components of MSVD resistance accounting for 3.1–21.4% of the phenotypic variance, suggesting that a total of eleven genomic regions covering chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 are probably required for MSVD resistance. Two new genomic regions on chromosome 4 revealed the occurrence of co-localized QTLs for different parameters associated with MSVD resistance. Moreover, the consistent appearance of QTL on chromosome 7 for MSVD resistance is illustrating the need for fine-mapping of this locus. In conclusion, these QTLs could provide additional source for breeders to develop MSV resistance

Assessing the potential of extra-early maturing landraces for improving tolerance to drought, heat, and both combined stresses in maize

Open Access Journal; Published online: 25 Feb 2020Maize landrace accessions constitute an invaluable gene pool of unexplored alleles that can be harnessed to mitigate the challenges of the narrowing genetic base, declined genetic gains, and reduced resilience to abiotic stress in modern varieties developed from repeated recycling of few superior breeding lines. The objective of this study was to identify extra-early maize landraces that express tolerance to drought and/or heat stress and maintain high grain yield (GY) with other desirable agronomic/morpho-physiological traits. Field experiments were carried out over two years on 66 extra-early maturing maize landraces and six drought and/or heat-tolerant populations under drought stress (DS), heat stress (HS), combined both stresses (DSHS), and non-stress (NS) conditions as a control. Wide variations were observed across the accessions for measured traits under each stress, demonstrating the existence of substantial natural variation for tolerance to the abiotic stresses in the maize accessions. Performance under DS was predictive of yield potential under DSHS, but tolerance to HS was independent of tolerance to DS and DSHS. The accessions displayed greater tolerance to HS (23% yield loss) relative to DS (49% yield loss) and DSHS (yield loss = 58%). Accessions TZm-1162, TZm-1167, TZm-1472, and TZm-1508 showed particularly good adaptation to the three stresses. These landrace accessions should be further explored to identify the genes underlying their high tolerance and they could be exploited in maize breeding as a resource for broadening the genetic base and increasing the abiotic stress resilience of elite maize varieties

Genetic diversity and population structure of early and extra-early maturing maize germplasm adapted to sub-Saharan Africa

Open Access Journal; Published online: 17 Feb 2021Background Assessment and effective utilization of genetic diversity in breeding programs is crucial for sustainable genetic improvement and rapid adaptation to changing breeding objectives. During the past two decades, the commercialization of the early and extra-early maturing cultivars has contributed to rapid expansion of maize into different agro-ecologies of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where maize has become an important component of the agricultural economy and played a vital role in food and nutritional security. The present study aimed at understanding the population structure and genetic variability among 439 early and extra-early maize inbred lines developed from three narrow-based and twenty-seven broad-based populations by the International Iinstitute of Tropical Agriculture Maize Improvement Program (IITA-MIP). These inbreds were genotyped using 9642 DArTseq-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers distributed uniformly throughout the maize genome. Results About 40.8% SNP markers were found highly informative and exhibited polymorphic information content (PIC) greater than 0.25. The minor allele frequency and PIC ranged from 0.015 to 0.500 and 0.029 to 0.375, respectively. The STRUCTURE, neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) grouped the inbred lines into four major classes generally consistent with the selection history, ancestry and kernel colour of the inbreds but indicated a complex pattern of the genetic structure. The pattern of grouping of the lines based on the STRUCTURE analysis was in concordance with the results of the PCoA and suggested greater number of sub-populations (K = 10). Generally, the classification of the inbred lines into heterotic groups based on SNP markers was reasonably reliable and in agreement with defined heterotic groups of previously identified testers based on combining ability studies. Conclusions Complete understanding of potential heterotic groups would be difficult to portray by depending solely on molecular markers. Therefore, planned crosses involving representative testers from opposing heterotic groups would be required to refine the existing heterotic groups. It is anticipated that the present set of inbreds could contribute new beneficial alleles for population improvement, development of hybrids and lines with potential to strengthen future breeding programs. Results of this study would help breeders in formulating breeding strategies for genetic enhancement and sustainable maize production in SSA

Marker based enrichment of provitamin A content in two tropical maize synthetics

Open Access Journal; Published online: 22 July 2021Most of the maize (Zea mays L.) varieties in developing countries have low content of micronutrients including vitamin A. As a result, people who are largely dependent on cereal-based diets suffer from health challenges due to micronutrient deficiencies. Marker assisted recurrent selection (MARS), which increases the frequency of favorable alleles with advances in selection cycle, could be used to enhance the provitamin A (PVA) content of maize. This study was carried out to determine changes in levels of PVA carotenoids and genetic diversity in two maize synthetics that were subjected to two cycles of MARS. The two populations, known as HGA and HGB, and their advanced selection cycles (C1 and C2) were evaluated at Ibadan in Nigeria. Selection increased the concentrations of β-carotene, PVA and total carotenoids across cycles in HGA, while in HGB only α-carotene increased with advances in selection cycle. β-cryptoxanthine increased at C1 but decreased at C2 in HGB. The levels of β-carotene, PVA, and total carotenoids increased by 40%, 30% and 36% respectively, in HGA after two cycles of selection. α-carotene and β-cryptoxanthine content improved by 20% and 5%, respectively after two cycles of selection in HGB. MARS caused changes in genetic diversity over selection cycles. Number of effective alleles and observed heterozygosity decreased with selection cycles, while expected heterozygosity increased at C1 and decreased at C2 in HGA. In HGB, number of effective alleles, observed and expected heterozygosity increased at C1 and decreased at C2. In both populations, fixation index increased after two cycle of selections. The greatest part of the genetic variability resides within the population accounting for 86% of the total genetic variance. In general, MARS effectively improved PVA carotenoid content. However, genetic diversity in the two synthetics declined after two cycles of selection

Genome-wide association study of Striga resistance in early maturing white tropical maize inbred lines

Open Access Journal; Published online: 11 May 2020Background: Striga hermonthica (Benth.) parasitism militates against increased maize production and productivity in savannas of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Identification of Striga resistance genes is important in developing genotypes with durable resistance. So far, there is only one report on the existence of QTL for Striga resistance on chromosome 6 of maize. The objective of this study was to identify genomic regions significantly associated with grain yield and other agronomic traits under artificial Striga field infestation. A panel of 132 early-maturing maize inbreds were phenotyped for key agronomic traits under Striga-infested and Striga-free conditions. The inbred lines were also genotyped using 47,440 DArTseq markers from which 7224 markers were retained for population structure analysis and genome-wide association study (GWAS). Results: The inbred lines were grouped into two major clusters based on structure analysis as well as the neighborjoining hierarchical clustering. A total of 24 SNPs significantly associated with grain yield, Striga damage at 8 and 10 weeks after planting (WAP), ears per plant and ear aspect under Striga infestation were detected. Under Striga-free conditions, 11 SNPs significantly associated with grain yield, number of ears per plant and ear aspect were identified. Three markers physically located close to the putative genes GRMZM2G164743 (bin 10.05), GRMZM2G060216 (bin 3.06) and GRMZM2G103085 (bin 5.07) were detected, linked to grain yield, Striga damage at 8 and 10 WAP and number of ears per plant under Striga infestation, explaining 9 to 42% of the phenotypic variance. Furthermore, the S9_154,978,426 locus on chromosome 9 was found at 2.61 Mb close to the ZmCCD1 gene known to be associated with the reduction of strigolactone production in the maize roots. Conclusions: Presented in this study is the first report of the identification of significant loci on chromosomes 9 and 10 of maize that are closely linked to ZmCCD1 and amt5 genes, respectively and may be related to plant defense mechanisms against Striga parasitism. After validation, the identified loci could be targets for breeders for marker-assisted selection (MAS) to accelerate genetic enhancement of maize for Striga resistance in the tropics, particularly in SSA, where the parasitic weed is endemic

Genetic diversity, population structure and inter-trait relationships of combined heat and drought tolerant early-maturing maize inbred lines from west and central Africa

Open Access Journal; Published online: 04 Sept 2020Adequate knowledge and understanding of the genetic diversity and inter-trait relationships among elite maize inbred lines are crucial for determining breeding strategies and predicting hybrid performance. The objectives of this study were to investigate the genetic diversity of 162 early maturing white and yellow tropical maize inbred lines, and to determine the population structure, heterotic groups and inter-trait relationships among the lines. Using 9684 DArT single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, a gene diversity (GD) of 0.30 was recorded for the inbred lines with polymorphic information content (PIC) ranging from 0.08 to 0.38. The genetic relatedness among the inbred lines evaluated revealed six different groups based on the history of selection, colour of endosperm and pedigree. The genotype-by-trait (GT) biplot analysis identified inbred 1 (TZEI 935) as outstanding in terms of combined heat and drought (HD) tolerance with the base index analysis identifying 15 superior inbreds in the HD environment. A wide range of genetic variability was observed among the inbred lines, indicating that they are an invaluable resource for breeding for HD tolerance in maize breeding programmes, especially in West and Central Africa

Genetic diversity and population structure of soybean lines adapted to sub-Saharan Africa using Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers

Open Access Journal; Published online: 22 Mar 2021Soybean productivity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is less than half of the global average yield. To plug the productivity gap, further improvement in grain yield must be attained by enhancing the genetic potential of new cultivars that depends on the genetic diversity of the parents. Hence, our aim was to assess genetic diversity and population structure of elite soybean genotypes, mainly released cultivars and advanced selections in SSA. In this study, a set of 165 lines was genotyped with high-throughput single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers covering the complete genome of soybean. The genetic diversity (0.414) was high considering the bi-allelic nature of SNP markers. The polymorphic information content (PIC) varied from 0.079 to 0.375, with an average of 0.324 and about 49% of the markers had a PIC value above 0.350. Cluster analysis grouped all the genotypes into three major clusters. The model-based STRUCTURE and discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) exhibited high consistency in the allocation of lines in subpopulations or groups. Nonetheless, they presented some discrepancy and identified the presence of six and five subpopulations or groups, respectively. Principal coordinate analysis revealed more consistency with subgroups suggested by DAPC analysis. Our results clearly revealed the broad genetic base of TGx (Tropical Glycine max) lines that soybean breeders may select parents for crossing, testing and selection of future cultivars with desirable traits for SSA

Genomic analysis of selected maize landraces from Sahel and Coastal west Africa reveals their variability and potential for genetic enhancement

Open Access Journal; Published online: 07 Sept 2020Genetic adaptation of maize to the increasingly unpredictable climatic conditions is an essential prerequisite for achievement of food security and sustainable development goals in sub-Saharan Africa. The landraces of maize; which have not served as sources of improved germplasm; are invaluable sources of novel genetic variability crucial for achieving this objective. The overall goal of this study was to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of a maize panel of 208 accessions; comprising landrace gene pools from Burkina Faso (58), Ghana (43), and Togo (89), together with reference populations (18) from the maize improvement program of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). Genotyping the maize panel with 5974 DArTseq-SNP markers revealed immense genetic diversity indicated by average expected heterozygosity (0.36), observed heterozygosity (0.5), and polymorphic information content (0.29). Model-based population structure; neighbor-joining tree; discriminant analysis of principal component; and principal coordinate analyses all separated the maize panel into three major sub-populations; each capable of providing a wide range of allelic variation. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that 86% of the variation was within individuals; while 14% was attributable to differences among gene pools. The Burkinabe gene pool was strongly differentiated from all the others (genetic differentiation values >0.20), with no gene flow (Nm) to the reference populations (Nm = 0.98). Thus; this gene pool could be a target for novel genetic variation for maize improvement. The results of the present study confirmed the potential of this maize panel as an invaluable genetic resource for future design of association mapping studies to speed-up the introgression of this novel variation into the existing breeding pipelines

Breeding maize (Zea mays) for striga resistance: past, current and prospects in sub-Saharan Africa

Open Access Article; Published online: 01 Mar 2021Striga hermonthica, causes up to 100% yield loss in maize production in Sub‐Saharan Africa. Developing Striga‐resistant maize cultivars could be a major component of integrated Striga management strategies. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of maize breeding activities related to Striga resistance and its management. Scientific surveys have revealed that conventional breeding strategies have been used more than molecular breeding strategies in maize improvement for Striga resistance. Striga resistance genes are still under study in the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) maize breeding programme. There is also a need to discover QTL and molecular markers associated with such genes to improve Striga resistance in maize. Marker Assistance Breeding is expected to increase maize breeding efficiency with complex traits such as resistance towards Striga because of the complex nature of the host‐parasite relationship and its intersection with other environmental factors. Conventional alongside molecular tools and technical controls are promising methods to effectively assess Striga in Sub‐Saharan Africa

Genetic diversity and inter-trait relationships among maize inbreds containing genes from Zea diploperennis and hybrid performance under contrasting environments

Open Access Journal; Published online: 27 Sep 2020Accurate estimation of genetic variability present in tropical maize inbreds with varying reactions to Strigahermonthica infestation is essential for efficient and sustainable utilization to ensure increased genetic gain in a breeding program. Thirty-six early maturing maize inbred lines and 156 single cross hybrids were evaluated under Striga-infested and non-infested conditions in Nigeria during the 2014 and 2015 cropping seasons. Under Striga infestation, grain yield ranged from 1134 kg ha−1 for TZEI 26 × TZEI 5 to 5362 kg ha−1 for TZdEI 173 × TZdEI 280. The average yield reduction of the hybrids under Striga infestation was 44% relative to the performance under non-infested environments. Using 4440 high-quality DArT markers, clustering and population structure analyses separated the inbred lines into three distinct groups based on the genetic distance indicating high level of genetic variability among the lines. The base index of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) identified 50% of the inbred lines as Striga resistant. The genetic diversity study provided an opportunity for selecting divergent parents for tagging candidate genes and quantitative trait loci for marker-assisted introgression of Striga resistance genes into early maturing tropical maize breeding populations. The most reliable secondary trait for indirect selection for grain yield under Striga infestation was the ear aspect