QTL underlying iron toxicity tolerance at seedling stage in backcross recombinant inbred lines (BRILs) population of rice using high density genetic map

Fe is a trace element considered to be essential for rice, and it drives several metabolic processes. Fe toxicity occurs due to excessive Fe ions (Fe2+) and which, disturb cellular homeostasis and dramatically reduces the rice yield. A set of 118 BRILs made from a cross of japonica cv.'02428' and indica 'Changhui 891' was used with high density bin map constructed by using high quality SNP to identify the QTL for Fe toxicity tolerance. As a whole total of 23 QTL were identified for various seedling traits, 3 under control with phenotypic difference ranging from 14.21% to 62.46%, 11 QTL under stress with phenotypic difference ranging from 7.89% to 47.39% and 9 under stressed/control ratio with phenotypic variance ranging from 9.17% to 183.50%. LOD values of QTL ranging from 4.05 to 17.04 in control, 3.41 to 8.09 in stress and 2.84 to131.63 in stress/control ratio. Shoot length (SL), root length (RL), shoot fresh weight (SFW), root fresh weight (RFW), shoot dry weight (SDW), and root dry weight (RDW), were used to estimate the degree of Fe tolerance. Many stable QTL, qSSDW-4, qSSDW-6, qRSDW-4 and qRSDW-6 affecting SDW were detected and beside this some new QTL, qRSFW-1, qRRFW-10 and qRRDW-1 were successfully identified significantly contributing to Fe toxicity tolerance in rice. The results of current study indicated that these novel regions could be transferred via markers assisted section and QTL pyramiding to develop Fe resistant lines in rice.