Shirvani Hooman, Mehrabi Ali Ashraf, Farshadfar Mohsen, Safari Hooshmand, Arminian Ali, Fatehi Foad
Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Pajoohesh Boulevard, Ilam 69318-51147, Iran.
Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Shahed University, Khalij Fars Expressway, Tehran 3319118651, Iran.
AoB Plants. 2025 Jul 16;17(4):plaf022. doi: 10.1093/aobpla/plaf022. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Wild barley ( subsp), the progenitor of cultivated barley, is an invaluable genetic resource for enhancing crop resilience, particularly in drought-prone regions. Its natural adaptation to water-limited environments makes it an ideal candidate for studying mechanisms of drought tolerance. This study aims to investigate the genetic basis of drought tolerance by examining the correlation between molecular markers and root traits across a diverse collection of wild barley genotypes. This study evaluated the relationship between molecular markers and root traits in 114 wild barley genotypes collected from the natural distributional range in western Iran. The genotypes were subjected to normal (90%-95% field capacity) and water-stress (50%-55% field capacity) conditions. Root, physiological and seedling traits were carefully measured, and the genotypes were analyzed using 35 molecular markers, including simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and expressed sequence tag-SSRs (EST-SSRs). Statistical association analyses were performed to assess the correlation between markers and root traits. The study revealed significant genetic diversity among the 114 wild barley genotypes, reflecting distinct environmental pressures in their regions of origin. Several molecular markers, especially BMAG0603 and GBM1126, consistently exhibited strong associations with desirable root traits, such as increased root length, root density, and seedling vigor under both normal and water-stressed conditions. These markers are valuable for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in breeding programs aimed at improving drought tolerance. Specific chromosomal regions critical for root trait development were identified, offering insights into the genetic control of drought tolerance in barley. The results highlight the importance of using molecular markers to enhance drought tolerance in barley. The identification of key markers associated with beneficial root traits offers a valuable resource for breeding programs focused on drought resilience. Further research should explore marker-trait associations under various stress conditions to optimize the genetic potential of wild barley for crop improvement strategies.
野生大麦（亚种）是栽培大麦的祖先，是增强作物抗逆性的宝贵遗传资源，在干旱频发地区尤为如此。它对水分有限环境的自然适应性使其成为研究耐旱机制的理想候选对象。本研究旨在通过检测一系列不同野生大麦基因型中分子标记与根系性状之间的相关性，来探究耐旱性的遗传基础。本研究评估了从伊朗西部自然分布区收集的114个野生大麦基因型中分子标记与根系性状之间的关系。这些基因型分别处于正常（田间持水量的90%-95%）和水分胁迫（田间持水量的50%-55%）条件下。仔细测量了根系、生理和幼苗性状，并使用35个分子标记对这些基因型进行分析，包括简单序列重复（SSR）和表达序列标签-SSR（EST-SSR）。进行了统计关联分析以评估标记与根系性状之间的相关性。研究揭示了114个野生大麦基因型之间存在显著的遗传多样性，反映了其原产地不同的环境压力。几个分子标记，尤其是BMAG0603和GBM1126，在正常和水分胁迫条件下均始终与理想的根系性状表现出强关联，如根长增加、根密度增加和幼苗活力增强。这些标记对于旨在提高耐旱性的育种计划中的标记辅助选择（MAS）很有价值。确定了对根系性状发育至关重要的特定染色体区域，为了解大麦耐旱性的遗传控制提供了见解。结果突出了使用分子标记增强大麦耐旱性的重要性。与有益根系性状相关的关键标记的鉴定为专注于抗旱性的育种计划提供了宝贵资源。进一步的研究应探索各种胁迫条件下的标记-性状关联，以优化野生大麦在作物改良策略中的遗传潜力。
