Genetic Diversity and Association Mapping of Grain-Size Traits in Rice Landraces from the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces System in Yunnan Province

Researchers identified significant genetic markers linked to key grain-size traits in rice landraces from the UNESCO-listed Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, offering potential for crop improvement. Analyzing 96 landraces over multiple years using SSR markers, they found strong associations between specific genetic variants and traits like grain length, width, thickness, length-width ratio, and thousand-grain weight. These markers explained phenotypic variation ranging from 10% to 43%, with notable heritability (>70%) for these traits. The study also revealed two distinct genetic groups within the landraces, predominantly indica rice, highlighting the terraces' role as a reservoir of valuable genetic diversity.

Ma, M., Lei, E., Wang, T., Meng, H., Zhang, W., & Lu, B. (2023). Genetic Diversity and Association Mapping of Grain-Size Traits in Rice Landraces from the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces System in Yunnan Province. Plants, 12(8), 1678. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12081678