Application of Image-Based Phenotyping for QTL Identification of Tiller Angle in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.)
Yoon-Hee Jang,
Song Lim Kim,
Jeongho Baek,
Hongseok Lee,
Chaewon Lee,
Inchan Choi,
Nyunhee Kim,
Tae-Ho Kim,
Ye-Ji Lee,
Hyeonso Ji,
Kyung-Hwan Kim
Affiliations
Yoon-Hee Jang
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Gene Engineering Division, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 54874, Republic of Korea
Song Lim Kim
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Gene Engineering Division, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 54874, Republic of Korea
Jeongho Baek
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Gene Engineering Division, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 54874, Republic of Korea
Hongseok Lee
Department of Southern Area Crop Science, Crop Production Technology Research Division, National Institute of Crop Science, Rural Development Administration, Milyang 50424, Republic of Korea
Chaewon Lee
Department of Central Area Crop Science, Crop Cultivation & Environment Research Division, National Institute of Crop Science, Rural Development Administration, Suwon 16613, Republic of Korea
Inchan Choi
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Division of Smart Farm Development, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 54874, Republic of Korea
Nyunhee Kim
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Gene Engineering Division, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 54874, Republic of Korea
Tae-Ho Kim
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Genomics Division, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 54874, Republic of Korea
Ye-Ji Lee
Department of Central Area Crop Science, Crop Cultivation & Environment Research Division, National Institute of Crop Science, Rural Development Administration, Suwon 16613, Republic of Korea
Hyeonso Ji
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Gene Engineering Division, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 54874, Republic of Korea
Kyung-Hwan Kim
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Gene Engineering Division, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 54874, Republic of Korea
Rice tiller angle is a key agronomic trait that regulates plant architecture and plays a critical role in determining rice yield. Given that tiller angle is regulated by multiple genes, it is important to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with tiller angle. Recently, with the advancement of imaging technology for plant phenotyping, it has become possible to quickly and accurately measure agronomic traits of breeding populations. In this study, we extracted tiller angle and various image-based parameters from Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images of a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between Milyang23 (Indica) and Giho (Japonica). Correlations among the obtained data were analyzed, and through dynamic QTL mapping, five major QTLs (qTA1, qTA1-1, qTA2, qTA2-1, and qTA9) related to tiller angle were detected on chromosomes 1, 2, and 9. Among them, 26 candidate genes related to auxin signaling and plant growth, including the TAC1 (Tiller Angle Control 1) gene, were identified in qTA9 (RM257-STS09048). These results demonstrate the potential of image-based phenotyping to overcome the limitations of traditional manual measurements in crop structure research. Furthermore, the identification of key QTLs and candidate genes related to tiller angle provides valuable genetic insights for the development of high-yielding varieties through crop morphology control.
