To identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling heat tolerance in rice, the progeny of BC 1 F 1 and F 2 populations derived from an IR64 · N22 cross were exposed to 38/24°C for 14 days at the flowering stage, and spikelet fertility was assessed. A custom 384-plex Illumina GoldenGate genotyping assay was used to genotype the F 2 and selected BC 1 F 1 plants. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms were associated with heat tolerance in the BC 1 F 1 population using selective genotyping and single marker analysis, and four putative QTL were found to be associated with heat tolerance in the F 2 population. Two major QTL were located on chromosome 1 (qHTSF1.1) and chromosome 4 (qHTSF4.1). These two major QTL could explain 12.6% (qHTSF1.1) and 17.6% (qHTSF4.1) of the variation in spikelet fertility under high temperature. Tolerant allele of qHTSF1.1 was from the susceptible parent IR64, and that of qHTSF4.1 was from tolerant parent N22. The effect of qHTSF4.1 on chromosome 4 was confirmed in selected BC 2 F 2 progeny from the same IR64 · N22 cross, and the plants with qHTSF4.1 showed significantly higher spikelet fertility than other genotypes.

Salinity tolerance in rice is critical at reproductive stage because it ultimately determines grain yield. An F2 mapping population derived from a Sadri/FL478 cross was exposed to saline field conditions (6-8 dS m(-1)) after the active tillering stage to identify reproductive stage specific QTLs for salinity tolerance. Genetic linkage map was constructed using 123 microsatellite markers on 232 F2 progenies. Totally 35 QTLs for 11 traits under salinity stress were detected with LOD > 3, out of which 28 QTLs that explained from 5.9 to 30.0% phenotypic variation were found to be significant based on permutation test. Three major QTL clusters were found on chromosomes 2 (RM423-RM174), 4 (RM551-RM518) and 6 (RM20224-RM528) for multiple traits under salinity stress. Both parental lines contributed additively for QTLs identified for the yield components. A majority of the QTLs detected in our study are reported for the first time for reproductive stage salinity stress. Fine-mapping of selected putative QTLs will be the next step to facilitate marker-assisted backcrossing and to detect useful genes for salinity tolerance at the reproductive stage in rice.

Salinity is a major abiotic stress that limits rice production across rice areas as high-yielding modern rice varieties are generally sensitive to salt stress. The study was conducted to deduce heritability and combining ability estimates of rice for various morphological and physiological traits using a 7 9 7 full-diallel-cross analysis at seedling and reproductive stages. The salinity stress treatment was 12 dS m À1 at the seedling stage and 8 dS m À1 at the reproductive stage. Diallel analysis revealed high h 2 bs for salinity tolerance scores and shoot height, moderate for shoot dry weight and root dry weight and low for Na + and K + concentrations and K + /Na + ratio. The low-to-moderate narrow-sense heritability for number of panicles, number of fertile spikelets, grain weight, spikelet fertility and K + /Na + ratio suggests a large breeding population and delayed selection for tolerance until later generations. Significant maternal effects indicate that selection of the female parent is very important for desired trait development. The results of this study confirmed that salinity tolerance at the seedling and reproductive stages is regulated by a different set of genes that could be pyramided using different donors to enhance the level of tolerance.

Three thermosensitive genetic male sterility (TGMS) genes -tms2, tgms and tms5 -were pyramided using linked microsatellite markers. Three TGMS donors, Norin PL 12 (tms2), SA2 (tgms) and DQ200047-21 (tms5) were utilized in generating crosses from which two-gene and three-gene pyramids possessing the RM11 allele of Norin PL 12, RM257 allele of SA2 and RM174 allele of DQ200047-21 were selected. All selected progenies were malesterile at sterility-inducing conditions. In addition, rice SF21 was identified as a candidate tms5 gene because of its complete linkage with RM174. The 4,200-bp region was amplified from the TGMS line M105S and the two ends were sequenced. In silico analysis of partial nucleotide sequences showed that the region is similar to the SF21 pollen-specific gene of Arabidopsis and Helianthus. The M105S tms5 sequence was also compared to the SF21 sequence from the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project (IRGSP) database.