Complex genetic architecture underlying the plasticity of maize agronomic traits

Abstract

Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of a given genotype to produce multiple phenotypes in response to changing environmental conditions. Understanding the genetic basis of phenotypic plasticity and establishing a predictive model is highly relevant to future agriculture under a changing climate. Here we report findings on the genetic basis of phenotypic plasticity for 23 complex traits using a diverse maize population planted at five sites with distinct environmental conditions. We found that latitude -related environmental factors were the main drivers of across-site variation in flowering time traits but not in plant architecture or yield traits. For the 23 traits, we detected 109 quantitative trait loci (QTLs), 29 for mean values, 66 for plasticity, and 14 for both parameters, and 80% of the QTLs interacted with latitude. The effects of several QTLs changed in magnitude or sign, driving variation in phenotypic plasticity. We experimentally validated one plastic gene, ZmTPS14.1, whose effect was likely mediated by the compen-sation effect of ZmSPL6 from a downstream pathway. By integrating genetic diversity, environmental vari-ation, and their interaction into a joint model, we could provide site-specific predictions with increased accuracy by as much as 9.9%, 2.2%, and 2.6% for days to tassel, plant height, and ear weight, respectively. This study revealed a complex genetic architecture involving multiple alleles, pleiotropy, and genotype-by -environment interaction that underlies variation in the mean and plasticity of maize complex traits. It provides novel insights into the dynamic genetic architecture of agronomic traits in response to changing environments, paving a practical way toward precision agriculture.

Keywords

complex traits; phenotypic plasticity; QTL-by-environment interaction; crop improvement; Zea mays

Published in

Plant Communications
2023, volume: 4, number: 3, article number: 100473
Publisher: ELSEVIER

SLU Authors

• Zan, Yanjun

  • Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Global goals (SDG)

SDG2 Zero hunger

UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Sciences and Nature Conservation
Agricultural Science

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xplc.2022.100473

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/122820