The development of nutritionally enhanced wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with higher levels of grain iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) offers a sustainable solution to micronutrient deficiency among resource-poor wheat consumers. One hundred and ninety recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from ‘Kachu’ × ‘Zinc-Shakti’ cross were phenotyped for grain Fe and Zn concentrations and phenological and agronomically important traits at Ciudad Obregon, Mexico in the 2017–2018, 2018–2019, and 2019–2020 growing seasons and Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) molecular marker data were used to determine genomic regions controlling grain micronutrients and agronomic traits. We identified seven new pleiotropic quantitative trait loci (QTL) for grain Zn and Fe on chromosomes 1B, 1D, 2B, 6A, and 7D. The stable pleiotropic QTL identified have expanded the diversity of QTL that could be used in breeding for wheat biofortification. Nine RILs with the best combination of pleiotropic QTL for Zn and Fe have been identified to be used in future crossing programs and to be screened in elite yield trials before releasing as biofortified varieties. In silico analysis revealed several candidate genes underlying QTL, including those belonging to the families of the transporters and kinases known to transport small peptides and minerals (thus assisting mineral uptake) and catalyzing phosphorylation processes, respectively.

The aim of this study was to screen Indian cultivated wheat varieties and list out the parameters/genes required to be improved for an end-product. Therefore, 30 Indian wheat varieties under cultivation by farmers were screened for 14 physico-chemical and rheological parameters, sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) for high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS), DNA based molecular markers for low molecular weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GS) and puroindolines (Pin) genes. Based on grain texture, sedimentation value, farinographic, alveographic, HMW-GS and LMW-GS and biscuit making parameters, HS490 was found to be a highly suited for biscuit and soft wheat products. HI1563 and DBW14 were also found to possess characteristics such as low protein, low to medium SDS-sedimentation value and combination of 2*, 7?8 and 2?12 (HMW-GS). DBW14 also had LMW alleles desirable for biscuit quality. DBW14 needs to be improved for grain softness to make it suitable for biscuit quality while both grain softness and LMW alleles need to be improved for HI1563 to improve its biscuit spread factor and alveographic indices for extensible gluten. Rest varieties showed moderate to very strong gluten but the gluten lacked extensibility. Only four varieties K307, DBW39, NI5439 and DBW17 possessed high flour protein and moderately strong gluten. They had more balanced deformation energy (W) and configuration ratio (P/L) combination suggestive of strong and extensible gluten needed for raised bread making. Marker assisted backcross breeding is suggested as solution to produce end-use specific varieties where appropriate alleles at only a few loci need to be incorporated. Keywords Wheat grain quality Á Gluten Á Grain texture Á High molecular weight (HMW) Á Low molecular weight (LMW) glutenins Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (

Genomic regions governing days to heading (DH), days to maturity (DM), plant height (PH), thousand-kernel weight (TKW), and test weight (TW) were investigated in a set of 190 RILs derived from a cross between a widely cultivated wheat-variety, Kachu (DPW-621-50), and a high-zinc variety, Zinc-Shakti. The RIL population was genotyped using 909 DArTseq markers and phenotyped in three environments. The constructed genetic map had a total genetic length of 4665 cM, with an average marker density of 5.13 cM. A total of thirty-seven novel quantitative trait loci (QTL), including twelve for PH, six for DH, five for DM, eight for TKW and six for TW were identified. A set of 20 stable QTLs associated with the expression of DH, DM, PH, TKW, and TW were identified in two or more environments. Three novel pleiotropic genomic-regions harboring co-localized QTLs governing two or more traits were also identified. In silico analysis revealed that the DArTseq markers were located on important putative candidate genes such as MLO-like protein, Phytochrome, Zinc finger and RING-type, Cytochrome P450 and pentatricopeptide repeat, involved in the regulation of pollen maturity, the photoperiodic modulation of flowering-time, abiotic-stress tolerance, grain-filling duration, thousand-kernel weight, seed morphology, and plant growth and development. The identified novel QTLs, particularly stable and co-localized QTLs, will be validated to estimate their effects in different genetic backgrounds for subsequent use in marker-assisted selection (MAS).