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Correlations between Palmitate Content and Agronomic Traits in Soybean Populations Segregating for the fap1 , fap nc , and fan Alleles
Author(s) -
Cardinal Andrea J.,
Burton Joseph W.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci2006.09.0577
Subject(s) - pleiotropy , biology , linolenate , allele , yield (engineering) , genotype , agronomy , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , fatty acid , gene , phenotype , biochemistry , materials science , metallurgy
Palmitate is the predominant saturated fatty acid in soybean oil. Major fap alleles that reduce palmitate content in seed oil also reduce seed yield. Breeders are interested in estimating the genotypic correlation between palmitate content and agronomic traits to predict unfavorable correlated responses to selection. The main objective of this study was to estimate the genotypic and phenotypic correlations between palmitate and linolenate contents and other traits in three populations segregating for the fap nc , fap1 , and fan alleles and modifier genes. The populations derived from crosses of high‐yielding lines and improved low‐palmitate and low‐linolenate lines were grown in replicated trials in three environments. Significant positive genetic correlations between palmitate and yield and between palmitate and plant height were observed in all three populations. Linolenate content was genetically positively correlated with lodging in two populations and negatively correlated with oil content in three populations. Our results support the observation that the major fap nc or fap1 or both alleles reduced plant height and had a major negative effect on yield. These effects could be due to pleiotropy or linkage with unfavorable yield or height genes. The relative importance of pleiotropy and linkage has very different implications for oil quality breeding.