Molecular Mapping of Complex Traits - Genetics, Genomics and Breeding of Crop Plants - page 140

5
Molecular Mapping of Complex
Traits
Seifollah Poormohammad Kiani 1 and Ahmad Sarrafi 2 *
ABSTRACT
Many agricultural traits are complex quantitative traits, affected
by many genes, the environment, and interactions between genes
and environments. They do not follow the simple rules of Mendelian
genetics. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping is a key tool for studying
the genetic architecture of complex traits in plants. In this chapter,
we reviewed QTLs identified for complex traits using different
germplasm and by different research groups. This would advance
our understanding of the genetics of complex traits, including yield,
oil content and biotic or abiotic stress tolerance in sunflower.
Keywords: complex traits; quantitative trait loci; oil content; yield;
biotic stress; abiotic stress
5.1 Introduction
New technologies have introduced an additional means for improving
sunflower yield and quality using quantitative genetics. The aim of
molecular genetics in sunflower breeding is to identify, isolate, amplify and
modify genes or other sequences of DNA and to combine and express the
novel or modified sequences in new genotypes. Despite some limitations,
1 INRA, Genetics and Plant Breeding (SGAP UR254), 78026, Versailles, France.
2 INP-ENSAT, IFR 40, Laboratoire de Biotechnologie et Amélioration des Plantes (BAP),
31326, Castanet Tolosan, France.