Mapping of QTLs for calcium accumulation in barley shoot biomass

To map QTLs for traits associated with accumulation of Calcium (Ca), 148 doubled-haploid (DH) population derived from a cross between Clipper (low Ca accumulator) and Sahara3771 (high Ca accumulator) was screened for the concentration and content of Ca at the maturity stage, under controlled condition. The experiment was conducted in CRD with 3 replications. The new 30 ISSR marker loci were added to a backbone of 466 loci on the Clipper x Sahara DH linkage map. The map spanned 1460 centimorgans (cM) and had a mean density of 2 loci per 3 cM. The QTL analysis led to identification of 5 and 2 QTLs for shoot Ca concentration and content, respectively; which explained 75 and 23 percent of the total phenotypic variation, respectively. The QTL on chromosome 2H, with 52 % had the largest effect for concentration of Ca. The identifications of QTLs with large effects on shoot and grain Ca concentration and contents illustrate the usefulness of molecular markers in gene mapping and suggest that marker-assisted selection will be feasible in the near future in Ca efficiency breeding programs.