Research Article

Relationship between progeny growth performance and molecular marker-based genetic distances in Eucommia ulmoides parental genotypes

Published: July 02, 2014
Genet. Mol. Res. 13 (3) : 4736-4746 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4238/2014.July.2.3
Cite this Article:
Y. Li, Y.C. Wei, Z.Q. Li, S.H. Wang, L. Chang (2014). Relationship between progeny growth performance and molecular marker-based genetic distances in Eucommia ulmoides parental genotypes. Genet. Mol. Res. 13(3): 4736-4746. https://doi.org/10.4238/2014.July.2.3
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Abstract

Progeny performances, variations and combining abilities for growth traits were evaluated in a factorial mating design of Eucommia ulmoides. Three marker systems, sequence-related amplified polymorphism, amplified fragment length polymorphism, and inter-simple sequence repeat, were used to determine genetic distances between parents. Correlations of genetic distances with progeny performances, within-family coefficients of variation and specific-combining abilities were established for height and basal diameter traits. Significant positive correlations were found between progeny performances of growth traits and genetic distances of parents based on sequence-related amplified polymorphism markers or a combination of all 3 marker systems. This revealed that crosses between genetically distant parents produced progenies with excellent growth performances. The lack of correlations between parental genetic distances and within-family coefficients of variation or specific-combining abilities suggested that these characteristics were unpredictable. The results of this study represent a potential criterion to predict progeny performances and choose parents in the breeding program.

Progeny performances, variations and combining abilities for growth traits were evaluated in a factorial mating design of Eucommia ulmoides. Three marker systems, sequence-related amplified polymorphism, amplified fragment length polymorphism, and inter-simple sequence repeat, were used to determine genetic distances between parents. Correlations of genetic distances with progeny performances, within-family coefficients of variation and specific-combining abilities were established for height and basal diameter traits. Significant positive correlations were found between progeny performances of growth traits and genetic distances of parents based on sequence-related amplified polymorphism markers or a combination of all 3 marker systems. This revealed that crosses between genetically distant parents produced progenies with excellent growth performances. The lack of correlations between parental genetic distances and within-family coefficients of variation or specific-combining abilities suggested that these characteristics were unpredictable. The results of this study represent a potential criterion to predict progeny performances and choose parents in the breeding program.