Root angle is controlled by EGT1 in cereal crops employing an antigravitropic mechanism.

Root angle in crops represents a key trait for efficient capture of soil resources. Root angle is determined by competing gravitropic versus antigravitropic offset (AGO) mechanisms. Here we report a root angle regulatory gene termed ENHANCED GRAVITROPISM1 (EGT1) that encodes a putative AGO component, whose loss-of-function enhances root gravitropism. Mutations in barley and wheat EGT1 genes confer a striking root phenotype, where every root class adopts a steeper growth angle. EGT1 encodes an F-box and Tubby domain-containing protein that is highly conserved across plant species. Haplotype analysis found that natural allelic variation at the barley EGT1 locus impacts root angle. Gravitropic assays indicated that Hvegt1 roots bend more rapidly than wild-type. Transcript profiling revealed Hvegt1 roots deregulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis and cell wall-loosening enzymes and cofactors. ROS imaging shows that Hvegt1 root basal meristem and elongation zone tissues have reduced levels. Atomic force microscopy measurements detected elongating Hvegt1 root cortical cell walls are significantly less stiff than wild-type. In situ analysis identified HvEGT1 is expressed in elongating cortical and stele tissues, which are distinct from known root gravitropic perception and response tissues in the columella and epidermis, respectively. We propose that EGT1 controls root angle by regulating cell wall stiffness in elongating root cortical tissue, counteracting the gravitropic machinery's known ability to bend the root via its outermost tissues. We conclude that root angle is controlled by EGT1 in cereal crops employing an antigravitropic mechanism.

The auxin efflux carrier PIN1a regulates vascular patterning in cereal roots.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is an important global cereal crop and a model in genetic studies. Despite advances in characterising barley genomic resources, few mutant studies have identified genes controlling root architecture and anatomy, which plays a critical role in capturing soil resources. Our phenotypic screening of a TILLING mutant collection identified line TM5992 exhibiting a short-root phenotype compared with wild-type (WT) Morex background. Outcrossing TM5992 with barley variety Proctor and subsequent SNP array-based bulk segregant analysis, fine mapped the mutation to a cM scale. Exome sequencing pinpointed a mutation in the candidate gene HvPIN1a, further confirming this by analysing independent mutant alleles. Detailed analysis of root growth and anatomy in Hvpin1a mutant alleles exhibited a slower growth rate, shorter apical meristem and striking vascular patterning defects compared to WT. Expression and mutant analyses of PIN1 members in the closely related cereal brachypodium (Brachypodium distachyon) revealed that BdPIN1a and BdPIN1b were redundantly expressed in root vascular tissues but only Bdpin1a mutant allele displayed root vascular defects similar to Hvpin1a. We conclude that barley PIN1 genes have sub-functionalised in cereals, compared to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), where PIN1a sequences control root vascular patterning.

Dissecting the genetic basis of resistance to Soil-borne cereal mosaic virus (SBCMV) in durum wheat by bi-parental mapping and GWAS.

Soil-borne cereal mosaic virus (SBCMV), the causative agent of wheat mosaic, is a Furovirus challenging wheat production all over Europe. Differently from bread wheat, durum wheat shows greater susceptibility and stronger yield penalties, so identification and genetic characterization of resistance sources are major targets for durum genetics and breeding. The Sbm1 locus providing high level of resistance to SBCMV was mapped in bread wheat to the 5DL chromosome arm (Bass in Genome 49:1140-1148, 2006). This excluded the direct use of Sbm1 for durum wheat improvement. Only one major QTL has been mapped in durum wheat, namely QSbm.ubo-2B, on the 2BS chromosome region coincident with Sbm2, already known in bread wheat as reported (Bayles in HGCA Project Report, 2007). Therefore, QSbm.ubo-2B = Sbm2 is considered a pillar for growing durum in SBCMV-affected areas. Herein, we report the fine mapping of Sbm2 based on bi-parental mapping and GWAS, using the Infinium 90 K SNP array and high-throughput KASP®. Fine mapping pointed out a critical haploblock of 3.2 Mb defined by concatenated SNPs successfully converted to high-throughput KASP® markers coded as KUBO. The combination of KUBO-27, wPt-2106-ASO/HRM, KUBO-29, and KUBO-1 allows unequivocal tracing of the Sbm2-resistant haplotype. The interval harbors 52 high- and 41 low-confidence genes, encoding 17 cytochrome p450, three receptor kinases, two defensins, and three NBS-LRR genes. These results pave the way for Sbm2 positional cloning. Importantly, the development of Sbm2 haplotype tagging KASP® provides a valuable case study for improving efficacy of the European variety testing system and, ultimately, the decision-making process related to varietal characterization and choice.

ENHANCED GRAVITROPISM 2 encodes a STERILE ALPHA MOTIF-containing protein that controls root growth angle in barley and wheat.

The root growth angle defines how roots grow toward the gravity vector and is among the most important determinants of root system architecture. It controls water uptake capacity, nutrient use efficiency, stress resilience, and, as a consequence, yield of crop plants. We demonstrated that the egt2 (enhanced gravitropism 2) mutant of barley exhibits steeper root growth of seminal and lateral roots and an auxin-independent higher responsiveness to gravity compared to wild-type plants. We cloned the EGT2 gene by a combination of bulked-segregant analysis and whole genome sequencing. Subsequent validation experiments by an independent CRISPR/Cas9 mutant allele demonstrated that egt2 encodes a STERILE ALPHA MOTIF domain-containing protein. In situ hybridization experiments illustrated that EGT2 is expressed from the root cap to the elongation zone. We demonstrated the evolutionary conserved role of EGT2 in root growth angle control between barley and wheat by knocking out the EGT2 orthologs in the A and B genomes of tetraploid durum wheat. By combining laser capture microdissection with RNA sequencing, we observed that seven expansin genes were transcriptionally down-regulated in the elongation zone. This is consistent with a role of EGT2 in this region of the root where the effect of gravity sensing is executed by differential cell elongation. Our findings suggest that EGT2 is an evolutionary conserved regulator of root growth angle in barley and wheat that could be a valuable target for root-based crop improvement strategies in cereals.

Evaluation of durum and hard red spring wheat panels for sensitivity to necrotrophic effectors produced by Parastagonospora nodorum.

Septoria nodorum blotch is an important disease of both durum and hard red spring wheat (HRSW) worldwide. The disease is caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Parastagonospora nodorum when compatible gene-for-gene interactions occur between pathogen-produced necrotrophic effectors (NEs) and corresponding host sensitivity genes. To date, nine sensitivity gene-NE interactions have been identified, but there is little information available regarding their overall frequency in durum and HRSW. Here, we infiltrated a global HRSW panel (HRSWP) and the Global Durum Panel (GDP) with P. nodorum NEs SnToxA, SnTox1, SnTox267, SnTox3, and SnTox5. Frequencies of sensitivity to SnTox1 and SnTox5 were higher in durum compared to HRSW and vice versa for SnTox267 and SnTox3. Strong associations for the known sensitivity loci Tsn1, Snn1, Snn2, Snn3, Snn5, and Snn7 along with potentially novel sensitivity loci on chromosome arms 7DS and 3BL associated with SnToxA and SnTox267, respectively, were identified in the HRSWP. In the GDP, Snn1, Snn3, and Snn5 were identified along with novel loci associated with sensitivity to SnTox267 on chromosome arms 2AS, 2AL, and 6AS and with SnTox5 sensitivity on 2BS and 7BL. These results reveal additional NE sensitivity loci beyond those previously described demonstrating a higher level of genetic complexity of the wheat-P. nodorum system than previously thought. Knowledge regarding the prevalence and genomic locations of SNB susceptibility genes in HRSW and durum will prove useful for developing efficient breeding strategies and improving varieties for SNB resistance.

Association Mapping of Resistance to Tan Spot in the Global Durum Panel.

Tan spot, caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Ptr), is an important disease of durum and common wheat worldwide. Compared with common wheat, less is known about the genetics and molecular basis of tan spot resistance in durum wheat. We evaluated 510 durum lines from the Global Durum Wheat Panel (GDP) for sensitivity to the necrotrophic effectors (NEs) Ptr ToxA and Ptr ToxB and for reaction to Ptr isolates representing races 1 to 5. Overall, susceptible durum lines were most prevalent in South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Genome-wide association analysis showed that the resistance locus Tsr7 was significantly associated with tan spot caused by races 2 and 3, but not races 1, 4, or 5. The NE sensitivity genes Tsc1 and Tsc2 were associated with susceptibility to Ptr ToxC- and Ptr ToxB-producing isolates, respectively, but Tsn1 was not associated with tan spot caused by Ptr ToxA-producing isolates, which further validates that the Tsn1-Ptr ToxA interaction does not play a significant role in tan spot development in durum. A unique locus on chromosome arm 2AS was associated with tan spot caused by race 4, a race once considered avirulent. A novel trait characterized by expanding chlorosis leading to increased disease severity caused by the Ptr ToxB-producing race 5 isolate DW5 was identified, and this trait was governed by a locus on chromosome 5B. We recommend that durum breeders select resistance alleles at the Tsr7, Tsc1, Tsc2, and the chromosome 2AS loci to obtain broad resistance to tan spot.

Genome-wide association analysis unveils novel QTLs for seminal root system architecture traits in Ethiopian durum wheat.

BACKGROUND: Genetic improvement of root system architecture is essential to improve water and nutrient use efficiency of crops or to boost their productivity under stress or non-optimal soil conditions. One hundred ninety-two Ethiopian durum wheat accessions comprising 167 historical landraces and 25 modern cultivars were assembled for GWAS analysis to identify QTLs for root system architecture (RSA) traits and genotyped with a high-density 90 K wheat SNP array by Illumina. RESULTS: Using a non-roll, paper-based root phenotyping platform, a total of 2880 seedlings and 14,947 seminal roots were measured at the three-leaf stage to collect data for total root length (TRL), total root number (TRN), root growth angle (RGA), average root length (ARL), bulk root dry weight (RDW), individual root dry weight (IRW), bulk shoot dry weight (SDW), presence of six seminal roots per seedling (RT6) and root shoot ratio (RSR). Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences between accessions for all RSA traits. Four major (- log10P ≥ 4) and 34 nominal (- log10P ≥ 3) QTLs were identified and grouped in 16 RSA QTL clusters across chromosomes. A higher number of significant RSA QTL were identified on chromosome 4B particularly for root vigor traits (root length, number and/or weight). CONCLUSIONS: After projecting the identified QTLs on to a high-density tetraploid consensus map along with previously reported RSA QTL in both durum and bread wheat, fourteen nominal QTLs were found to be novel and could potentially be used to tailor RSA in elite lines. The major RGA QTLs on chromosome 6AL detected in the current study and reported in previous studies is a good candidate for cloning the causative underlining sequence and identifying the beneficial haplotypes able to positively affect yield under water- or nutrient-limited conditions.

High-throughput field phenotyping reveals genetic variation in photosynthetic traits in durum wheat under drought.

Chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) is a powerful non-invasive technique for probing photosynthesis. Although proposed as a method for drought tolerance screening, ChlF has not yet been fully adopted in physiological breeding, mainly due to limitations in high-throughput field phenotyping capabilities. The light-induced fluorescence transient (LIFT) sensor has recently been shown to reliably provide active ChlF data for rapid and remote characterisation of plant photosynthetic performance. We used the LIFT sensor to quantify photosynthesis traits across time in a large panel of durum wheat genotypes subjected to a progressive drought in replicated field trials over two growing seasons. The photosynthetic performance was measured at the canopy level by means of the operating efficiency of Photosystem II ( Fq'/Fm' ) and the kinetics of electron transport measured by reoxidation rates ( Fr1' and Fr2' ). Short- and long-term changes in ChlF traits were found in response to soil water availability and due to interactions with weather fluctuations. In mild drought, Fq'/Fm' and Fr2' were little affected, while Fr1' was consistently accelerated in water-limited compared to well-watered plants, increasingly so with rising vapour pressure deficit. This high-throughput approach allowed assessment of the native genetic diversity in ChlF traits while considering the diurnal dynamics of photosynthesis.

Wheat root systems as a breeding target for climate resilience.

In the coming decades, larger genetic gains in yield will be necessary to meet projected demand, and this must be achieved despite the destabilizing impacts of climate change on crop production. The root systems of crops capture the water and nutrients needed to support crop growth, and improved root systems tailored to the challenges of specific agricultural environments could improve climate resiliency. Each component of root initiation, growth and development is controlled genetically and responds to the environment, which translates to a complex quantitative system to navigate for the breeder, but also a world of opportunity given the right tools. In this review, we argue that it is important to know more about the 'hidden half' of crop plants and hypothesize that crop improvement could be further enhanced using approaches that directly target selection for root system architecture. To explore these issues, we focus predominantly on bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), a staple crop that plays a major role in underpinning global food security. We review the tools available for root phenotyping under controlled and field conditions and the use of these platforms alongside modern genetics and genomics resources to dissect the genetic architecture controlling the wheat root system. To contextualize these advances for applied wheat breeding, we explore questions surrounding which root system architectures should be selected for, which agricultural environments and genetic trait configurations of breeding populations are these best suited to, and how might direct selection for these root ideotypes be implemented in practice.

Genomic tools for durum wheat breeding: de novo assembly of Svevo transcriptome and SNP discovery in elite germplasm.

BACKGROUND: The tetraploid durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum Desf. Husnot) is an important crop which provides the raw material for pasta production and a valuable source of genetic diversity for breeding hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Future breeding efforts to enhance yield potential and climate resilience will increasingly rely on genomics-based approaches to identify and select beneficial alleles. A deeper characterisation of the molecular and functional diversity of the durum wheat transcriptome will be instrumental to more effectively harness its genetic diversity. RESULTS: We report on the de novo transcriptome assembly of durum wheat cultivar 'Svevo'. The transcriptome of four tissues/organs (shoots and roots at the seedling stage, reproductive organs and developing grains) was assembled de novo, yielding 180,108 contigs, with a N50 length of 1121 bp and mean contig length of 883 bp. Alignment against the transcriptome of nine plant species identified 43% of transcripts with homology to at least one reference transcriptome. The functional annotation was completed by means of a combination of complementary software. The presence of differential expression between the A- and B-homoeolog copies of the durum wheat tetraploid genome was ascertained by phase reconstruction of polymorphic sites based on the T. urartu transcripts and inferring homoeolog-specific sequences. We observed greater expression divergence between A and B homoeologs in grains rather than in leaves and roots. The transcriptomes of 13 durum wheat cultivars spanning the breeding period from 1969 to 2005 were analysed for SNP diversity, leading to 95,358 non-rare, hemi-SNPs shared among two or more cultivars and 33,747 locus-specific (diploid inheritance) SNPs. CONCLUSIONS: Our study updates and expands the de novo transcriptome reference assembly available for durum wheat. Out of 180,108 assembled transcripts, 13,636 were specific to the Svevo cultivar as compared to the only other reference transcriptome available for durum, thus contributing to the identification of the tetraploid wheat pan-transcriptome. Additionally, the analysis of 13 historically relevant hallmark varieties produced a SNP dataset that could successfully validate the genotyping in tetraploid wheat and provide a valuable resource for genomics-assisted breeding of both tetraploid and hexaploid wheats.

Exploring and exploiting the genetic variation of Fusarium head blight resistance for genomic-assisted breeding in the elite durum wheat gene pool.

KEY MESSAGE: Genomic selection had a higher selection response for FHB resistance than phenotypic selection, while association mapping identified major QTL on chromosome 3B unaffected by plant height and flowering date. Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most destructive diseases of durum wheat. Hence, minimizing losses in yield, quality and avoiding contamination with mycotoxins are of pivotal importance, as durum wheat is mostly used for human consumption. While growing resistant varieties is the most promising approach for controlling this fungal disease, FHB resistance breeding in durum wheat is hampered by the limited variation in the elite gene pool and difficulties in efficiently combining the numerous small-effect resistance quantitative trait loci (QTL) in the same line. We evaluated an international collection of 228 genotyped durum wheat cultivars for FHB resistance over 3 years to investigate the genetic architecture and potential of genomic-assisted breeding for FHB resistance in durum wheat. Plant height was strongly positively correlated with FHB resistance and led to co-localization of plant height and resistance QTL. Nevertheless, a major QTL on chromosome 3B independent of plant height was identified in the same chromosomal interval as reported for the prominent hexaploid resistance QTL Fhb1, though haplotype analysis highlighted the distinctiveness of both QTL. Comparison between phenotypic and genomic selection for FHB resistance revealed a superior prediction ability of the former. However, simulated selection experiments resulted in higher selection responses when using genomic breeding values for early generation selection. An earlier identification of the most promising lines and crossing parents was feasible with a genomic selection index, which suggested a much faster short-term population improvement than previously possible in durum wheat, complementing long-term strategies with exotic resistance donors.

Dehydration survival of crop plants and its measurement.

Dehydration survival under drought stress is defined in this review as the transition from plant activity into a quiescent state of life preservation, which will be terminated by either recovery or death, depending on the stress regime and the plant's resilience. Dehydration survival is a popular phenotype by which functional genomics attempts to test gene function in drought resistance and survival. The available reports on phenotyping and genotyping of dehydration survival in genomic studies indicate that the measurement of this trait is often biased to the extent that misguided interpretations are likely to occur. This review briefly discusses the physiological basis of dehydration survival in resurrection plants and crop plants, and concludes that in phenotyping dehydration survival there is a need to distinguish between dehydration avoidance and dehydration tolerance (also termed desiccation tolerance) in affecting survival and recovery. Without this distinction, functional genomics studies of the trait might be biased. Survival due to dehydration avoidance is expressed by the capacity to maintain a relatively high plant water status as the plant is desiccated. Survival due to dehydration tolerance is expressed by delayed mortality (mortality at a relatively low plant water status) as affected by the resilience of plant metabolism. The common test of dehydration survival, using the relative recovery after a given number of stress days, is therefore insufficient because it is mainly driven by dehydration avoidance and so ignores a possible role for dehydration tolerance. Conceivable methods for more accurate phenotyping of the two components of dehydration survival are proposed and discussed.

Genome-Wide Analysis of Yield in Europe: Allelic Effects Vary with Drought and Heat Scenarios.

Assessing the genetic variability of plant performance under heat and drought scenarios can contribute to reduce the negative effects of climate change. We propose here an approach that consisted of (1) clustering time courses of environmental variables simulated by a crop model in current (35 years × 55 sites) and future conditions into six scenarios of temperature and water deficit as experienced by maize (Zea mays L.) plants; (2) performing 29 field experiments in contrasting conditions across Europe with 244 maize hybrids; (3) assigning individual experiments to scenarios based on environmental conditions as measured in each field experiment; frequencies of temperature scenarios in our experiments corresponded to future heat scenarios (+5°C); (4) analyzing the genetic variation of plant performance for each environmental scenario. Forty-eight quantitative trait loci (QTLs) of yield were identified by association genetics using a multi-environment multi-locus model. Eight and twelve QTLs were associated to tolerances to heat and drought stresses because they were specific to hot and dry scenarios, respectively, with low or even negative allelic effects in favorable scenarios. Twenty-four QTLs improved yield in favorable conditions but showed nonsignificant effects under stress; they were therefore associated with higher sensitivity. Our approach showed a pattern of QTL effects expressed as functions of environmental variables and scenarios, allowing us to suggest hypotheses for mechanisms and candidate genes underlying each QTL. It can be used for assessing the performance of genotypes and the contribution of genomic regions under current and future stress situations and to accelerate breeding for drought-prone environments.

Genome-wide association mapping reveals a rich genetic architecture of stripe rust resistance loci in emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccum).

KEY MESSAGE: SNP-based genome scanning in worldwide domesticated emmer germplasm showed high genetic diversity, rapid linkage disequilibrium decay and 51 loci for stripe rust resistance, a large proportion of which were novel. Cultivated emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccum), one of the oldest domesticated crops in the world, is a potentially rich reservoir of variation for improvement of resistance/tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses in wheat. Resistance to stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici) in emmer wheat has been under-investigated. Here, we employed genome-wide association (GWAS) mapping with a mixed linear model to dissect effective stripe rust resistance loci in a worldwide collection of 176 cultivated emmer wheat accessions. Adult plants were tested in six environments and seedlings were evaluated with five races from the United States and one from Italy under greenhouse conditions. Five accessions were resistant across all experiments. The panel was genotyped with the wheat 90,000 Illumina iSelect single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array and 5106 polymorphic SNP markers with mapped positions were obtained. A high level of genetic diversity and fast linkage disequilibrium decay were observed. In total, we identified 14 loci associated with field resistance in multiple environments. Thirty-seven loci were significantly associated with all-stage (seedling) resistance and six of them were effective against multiple races. Of the 51 total loci, 29 were mapped distantly from previously reported stripe rust resistance genes or quantitative trait loci and represent newly discovered resistance loci. Our results suggest that GWAS is an effective method for characterizing genes in cultivated emmer wheat and confirm that emmer wheat is a rich source of stripe rust resistance loci that can be used for wheat improvement.

Genome-wide association mapping for seedling and field resistance to Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici in elite durum wheat.

KEY MESSAGE: Genome-wide association analysis in tetraploid wheat revealed novel and diverse loci for seedling and field resistance to stripe rust in elite spring durum wheat accessions from worldwide. Improving resistance to stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is a major objective for wheat breeding. To identify effective stripe rust resistance loci, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using 232 elite durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) lines from worldwide breeding programs. Genotyping with the 90 K iSelect wheat single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array resulted in 11,635 markers distributed across the genome. Response to stripe rust infection at the seedling stage revealed resistant and susceptible accessions present in rather balanced frequencies for the six tested races, with a higher frequency of susceptible responses to United States races as compared to Italian races (61.1 vs. 43.1% of susceptible accessions). Resistance at the seedling stage only partially explained adult plant resistance, which was found to be more frequent with 67.7% of accessions resistant across six nurseries in the United States. GWAS identified 82 loci associated with seedling stripe rust resistance, five of which were significant at the false discovery rate adjusted P value <0.1 and 11 loci were detected for the field response at the adult plant stages in at least two environments. Notably, Yrdurum-1BS.1 showed the largest effect for both seedling and field resistance, and is therefore considered as a major locus for resistance in tetraploid wheat. Our GWAS study is the first of its kind for stripe rust resistance in tetraploid wheat and provides an overview of resistance in elite germplasm and reports new loci that can be used in breeding resistant cultivars.

A multiparental cross population for mapping QTL for agronomic traits in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum).

Multiparental cross designs for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) provide an efficient alternative to biparental populations because of their broader genetic basis and potentially higher mapping resolution. We describe the development and deployment of a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) obtained by crossing four elite cultivars. A linkage map spanning 2664 cM and including 7594 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was produced by genotyping 338 RILs. QTL analysis was carried out by both interval mapping on founder haplotype probabilities and SNP bi-allelic tests for heading date and maturity date, plant height and grain yield from four field experiments. Sixteen QTL were identified across environments and detection methods, including two yield QTL on chromosomes 2BL and 7AS, with the former mapped independently from the photoperiod response gene Ppd-B1, while the latter overlapped with the vernalization locus VRN-A3. Additionally, 21 QTL with environment-specific effects were found. Our results indicated a prevalence of environment-specific QTL with relatively small effect on the control of grain yield. For all traits, functionally different QTL alleles in terms of direction and size of genetic effect were distributed among parents. We showed that QTL results based on founder haplotypes closely matched functional alleles at known heading date loci. Despite the four founders, only 2.1 different functional haplotypes were estimated per QTL, on average. This durum wheat population provides a mapping resource for detailed genetic dissection of agronomic traits in an elite background typical of breeding programmes.

Global agricultural intensification during climate change: a role for genomics.

Agriculture is now facing the 'perfect storm' of climate change, increasing costs of fertilizer and rising food demands from a larger and wealthier human population. These factors point to a global food deficit unless the efficiency and resilience of crop production is increased. The intensification of agriculture has focused on improving production under optimized conditions, with significant agronomic inputs. Furthermore, the intensive cultivation of a limited number of crops has drastically narrowed the number of plant species humans rely on. A new agricultural paradigm is required, reducing dependence on high inputs and increasing crop diversity, yield stability and environmental resilience. Genomics offers unprecedented opportunities to increase crop yield, quality and stability of production through advanced breeding strategies, enhancing the resilience of major crops to climate variability, and increasing the productivity and range of minor crops to diversify the food supply. Here we review the state of the art of genomic-assisted breeding for the most important staples that feed the world, and how to use and adapt such genomic tools to accelerate development of both major and minor crops with desired traits that enhance adaptation to, or mitigate the effects of climate change.

Two major quantitative trait loci controlling the number of seminal roots in maize co-map with the root developmental genes rtcs and rum1.

The genetic dissection of root architecture and functions allows for a more effective and informed design of novel root ideotypes and paves the way to evaluate their effects on crop resilience to a number of abiotic stresses. In maize, limited attention has been devoted to the genetic analysis of root architecture diversity at the early stage. The difference in embryonic (including seminal and primary) root architecture between the maize reference line B73 (which mostly develops three seminal roots) and the landrace Gaspé Flint (with virtually no seminal roots) was genetically dissected using a collection of introgression lines grown in paper rolls and pots. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis identified three QTLs controlling seminal root number (SRN) on chromosome bins 1.02, 3.07, and 8.04-8.05, which collectively explained 66% of the phenotypic variation. In all three cases, Gaspé Flint contributed the allele for lower SRN. Primary root dry weight was negatively correlated with SRN (r= -0.52), and QTLs for primary root size co-mapped with SRN QTLs, suggesting a pleiotropic effect of SRN QTLs on the primary root, most probably caused by competition for seed resources. Interestingly, two out of three SRN QTLs co-mapped with the only two known maize genes (rtcs and rum1) affecting the number of seminal roots. The strong additive effect of the three QTLs and the development of near isogenic lines for each QTL in the elite B73 background provide unique opportunities to characterize functionally the genes involved in root development and to evaluate how root architecture affects seedling establishment, early development, and eventually yield in maize.

Prioritizing quantitative trait loci for root system architecture in tetraploid wheat.

Optimization of root system architecture (RSA) traits is an important objective for modern wheat breeding. Linkage and association mapping for RSA in two recombinant inbred line populations and one association mapping panel of 183 elite durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum Desf.) accessions evaluated as seedlings grown on filter paper/polycarbonate screening plates revealed 20 clusters of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for root length and number, as well as 30 QTLs for root growth angle (RGA). Divergent RGA phenotypes observed by seminal root screening were validated by root phenotyping of field-grown adult plants. QTLs were mapped on a high-density tetraploid consensus map based on transcript-associated Illumina 90K single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) developed for bread and durum wheat, thus allowing for an accurate cross-referencing of RSA QTLs between durum and bread wheat. Among the main QTL clusters for root length and number highlighted in this study, 15 overlapped with QTLs for multiple RSA traits reported in bread wheat, while out of 30 QTLs for RGA, only six showed co-location with previously reported QTLs in wheat. Based on their relative additive effects/significance, allelic distribution in the association mapping panel, and co-location with QTLs for grain weight and grain yield, the RSA QTLs have been prioritized in terms of breeding value. Three major QTL clusters for root length and number (RSA_QTL_cluster_5#, RSA_QTL_cluster_6#, and RSA_QTL_cluster_12#) and nine RGA QTL clusters (QRGA.ubo-2A.1, QRGA.ubo-2A.3, QRGA.ubo-2B.2/2B.3, QRGA.ubo-4B.4, QRGA.ubo-6A.1, QRGA.ubo-6A.2, QRGA.ubo-7A.1, QRGA.ubo-7A.2, and QRGA.ubo-7B) appear particularly valuable for further characterization towards a possible implementation of breeding applications in marker-assisted selection and/or cloning of the causal genes underlying the QTLs.