Inheritance and QTL Mapping of Salt Tolerance in Rice

An F2 population derived from the cross between Jiucaiqing (Japonica) and IR36 (indica) was used to analyze the inheritance of salt tolerance in rice by genetic model of major-genes plus polygenes, and to map the corresponding QTLs by SSR molecular markers. Rice plants of P1, P2, F1 and F2 at 5- to 6- leaf stage were treated under 140 mmol/LNaCI for 10 days. Three indices representing the ability of salt tolerance of rice seedlings were measured, including salt tolerance rating (STR), Na+/K+ ratio in roots and dry matter weight of shoots (DWS). STR, Na+/K+ and DWS were all controlled by two major genes with modification by polygenes. Heritability of these traits from major genes was 17.8, 53.3 and 52.3%, respectively. The linkage map constructed by 62 SSR molecular markers covered a total length of about 1 142 cM. There were three QTLs detected for STR located on chromosome 1, 5 and 9, two QTLs for DWS on chromosomes 8 and 9, and two QTLs for Na+/K+ on chromosomes 2 and 6, one on each chromosome respectively. Single QTL accounted for 6.7 to 19.3% of phenotypic variation. Identification method of salt tolerance in rice and breeding of rice varieties with salt tolerance based on molecular markers assisted selection had been discussed.