TRAIT MAPPING DIFFERENTIATES LOCI INFLUENCING SPIKE AND FLAG LEAF GLAUCOUSNESS IN WHEAT

The bluish-white appearance of some plants, known as glaucousness, results from the scattering effect of visible light due to plant surface waxes. This adaptive trait can contribute to tolerance of abiotic stresses in wheat such as drought, solar radiation, and heat. In this work, we rated the bluish-white versus green color of leaves and spikes in a panel of wheat breeding lines and in progeny from crosses between lines that differed in color. Using DNA markers, we were able to determine that a region of wheat chromosome 3A was the primary determinant of flag leaf and, to a lesser extent, spike glaucousness in the evaluated material. Three different chromosome regions are associated only with high wax levels on the spikes. Collectively, our results expand the understanding of the genetic control of the glaucousness trait.