Identification of Blast Resistance QTLs Based on Two Advanced Backcross Populations in Rice

BACKGROUND: Rice blast is an economically important and mutable disease of rice. Using host resistance gene to breed resistant varieties has been proven to be the most effective and economical method to control rice blast and new resistance genes or quantitative trait loci (QTLs) are then needed. RESULTS: In this study, we constructed two advanced backcross population to mapping blast resistance QTLs. CR071 and QingGuAi3 were as the donor parent to establish two BC(3)F(1) and derived BC(3)F(2) backcross population in the Jin23B background. By challenging the two populations with natural infection in 2011 and 2012, 16 and 13 blast resistance QTLs were identified in Jin23B/CR071 and Jin23B/QingGuAi3 population, respectively. Among Jin23B/CR071 population, 3 major and 13 minor QTLs have explained the phenotypic variation from 3.50% to 34.08% in 2 years. And, among Jin23B/QingGuAi3 population, 2 major and 11 minor QTLs have explained the phenotypic variation from 2.42% to 28.95% in 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Sixteen and thirteen blast resistance QTLs were identified in Jin23B/CR071 and Jin23B/QingGuAi3 population, respectively. QTL effect analyses suggested that major and minor QTLs interaction is the genetic basis for durable blast resistance in rice variety CR071 and QingGuAi3.