Major QTLs for seedling traits in barley using a DArT-based linkage map

Seed vigor is considered as the most critical stage for barley production, and cultivar with high early seedling vigour (ESV) allow plants to form a canopy more quickly. In this study, the QTLs of seedling vigour related-traits were investigated using 185 RILs derived from Xena and H94061120 using DArT approach. In total, 46 significant QTLs for ESV related-traits were detected. The total map length was 1075.1 cM with an average adjacent-marker distance of 3.28 cM. Fourteen QTLs for BY were found on all chromosomes, two of them co-located with QTLs on 1H for GY. The related-traits; LL1, LL2, LA1 and LDW1 had high heritability (>60%). Meanwhile, a significant correlation was observed between GY and BY, which provide the clear image of these traits in the selection process. Our results demonstrate that a pleiotropic QTL related to SLA2, BY, and GY was linked to to the DArT markers bPb-9280 and bPb-9108 on 1H, which could be used to significantly improve the seed vigor by marker-assisted selection and possible future map-based cloning of the gene of intrest.