Identification of Microsatellite Markers Associated with Important Agronomic Traits in Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa, Willd)

Abstract

In this research, 50 quinoa genotypes were investigated using 40 pairs of microsatellite markers (SSR) to identify the superior genotypes in terms of grain yield, the components affecting it, and the features linked to the studied traits were also introduced using Association Analysis. The study of grain yield traits and the factors affecting it showed that the traits of day to physiological maturity, panicle length, number of panicle per plant, and 1000 -grain weight were the most important traits affecting grain yield, and finally genotypes 1, 32 and 49 were the essential traits in terms of these traits. They were introduced as superior genotypes. Studying the population structure using Structure software showed two possible subgroups (K=2) in the studied population and the results of the bar plot confirmed it. The results of the correlation analysis using the general linear model (GLM) and the mixed linear model (MLM) numbers 49, 53 (GLM) and number 48, 52 (MLM) showed a significant indicator-adjective relationship, respectively, for the first year (2018) and the second (2019). Among the significant marker-trait relationships identified for different traits, the highest number of meaningful relationships were identified for grain yield and 1000-grain weight traits with 6 and 5 relationships, respectively. In conclusion, based on the results of the correlation analysis, 12 continuous markers were identified with a significant relationship with the evaluated traits during both years. Therefore, these markers can be used as fixed and stable markers in different quinoa breeding programs.

Keywords

• association analysis
• genetic diversity
• population structure
• marker-trait association