The ability to nondestructively image and automatically phenotype complex root systems, like those of rice (Oryza sativa), is fundamental to identifying genes underlying root system architecture (RSA). Although root systems are central to plant fitness, identifying genes responsible for RSA remains an underexplored opportunity for crop improvement. Here we describe a nondestructive imaging and ...

Knowledge of the underlying genetic architecture of quantitative traits could aid in understanding how they evolve. In wild populations, it is still largely unknown whether complex traits are polygenic or influenced by few loci with major effect, due to often small sample sizes and low resolution of marker panels. Here, we examine the genetic architecture of five adult body size traits in a fre...

INTRODuCTION Genetic markers provide information about allelic variation at a given locus. The increasing availability of molecular markers in farm animals allows the detailed analyses and evaluation of genetic diversity and furthermore the detection of genes influencing economically important traits. The majority of molecular markers used nowadays with high-throughput systems are microsatellit...

regions on three ovine chromosomes (oar1, oar5 and oar25) were selected to study quantitative trait loci (qtl) segregating for wool traits in baluchi sheep. a total of 503 progeny from 13 half-sib families were genotyped for 15 microsatellite markers. the average number of progeny per sire was 38 and ranged between 16 and 59. data were collected from research centre on baluchi breed in 2009 and...

Department of Animal breeding and Genetics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany. INTRODUCTION Genetic markers provide information about allelic variation at a given locus. The increasing availability of molecular markers in farm animals allows the detailed analyses and evaluation of genetic diversity and also, the detection of genes influencing economically important traits. The majority ...

Salinity tolerance is highly desirable to sustain alfalfa production in marginal lands that have been rendered saline. In this study, we used a diverse panel of 198 alfalfa accessions for mapping loci associated with plant growth and forage production under salt stress using genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The plants were genotyped using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). A greenhouse proc...

Evolution of mammalian skeletal structure can be rapid and the changes profound, as illustrated by the morphological diversity of the domestic dog. Here we use principal component analysis of skeletal variation in a population of Portuguese Water Dogs to reveal systems of traits defining skeletal structures. This analysis classifies phenotypic variation into independent components that can be u...

This article addresses the identification of genetic loci (QTL and elsewhere) that influence nonnormal quantitative traits with focus on experimental crosses. QTL mapping is typically based on the assumption that the traits follow normal distributions, which may not be true in practice. Model-free tests have been proposed. However, nonparametric estimation of genetic effects has not been studie...

The objective of this study was to identify the quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting carcass traits on chromosome 1 in Japanese quail. The populations comprised of 422 progeny in 9 half-sib families. Phenotypic data on carcass weight, carcass parts, and the internal organs were collected on 422 progeny. Nine half-sib families were genotyped for 8 microsatellite markers covering chromosomes 1...