Identification of agronomic traits associated with quantitative trait loci in a recombinant inbred line population of tef (Eragrostis tef)

Eragrostis tef (Zucc. Trotter (Poaceae), commonly known as tef, is one example of a minor cereal crop, which provides a major food grain for the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Culturally and economically tef plays an important role in Ethiopian. Lodging in tef is currently the most common cause for yield loss and to date there are no lodging resistant varieties. therefore the goal of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci associated with lodging resistance and potentially grain yield for future use in a marker assisted selection (MAS) program. Eighteen morphological and agronomic traits were assessed across three locations during the 1999 growing season. During the 2000 growing season, twenty-four agronomic and morphological traits were assessed across eight different locations. Significant QTLs were identified on thirteen of the thirty-seven linkage groups for days to heading, days to maturity, panicle weight, panicle seed weight, grain yield, lodging eulm length, culm diameter 1st internode, culm diameter 2nd internode, peduncle length, panicle length, plant height number of internodes, 2nd internode lenth, and shoot biomass. A clustering of QTLs for various morphological and plant height related traits and yield and yield related traits were identified on LG6, LG8 and LG15. Significant QTLs with increased effect from the Eragrostis pilosa parent were also identified for a few important traits (days to heading, culm diameter 1st internode length) assocated with lodging resistance. Once more is known about the relationships among the various traits associated with plant height and grain yields the QTLs identified here will be important for the proposed introgression of beneficial lodging resistant and possibly yield related alleles into different tef cultivars. The large amount of QTL data generated in this study will provide a rich source of information that can be used to address critical agronomic problems in the staple food crop for the people of Ethiopia.