Candidate genes for flowering time in lentil

Abstract

Study showed high heritability estimate (h2=0.82) for flowering time in lentil. Molecular diversity analysis with 75 polymorphic SSR markers resulted in amplification of 266 loci with 1-3 loci per marker. Model-based cluster analysis resulted in identification of two distinct sub-populations. Distribution of flowering time within the sub-populations was not skewed towards late and early flowering and it ranged from 40 to 70 days in sub-population I and from 54 to 69 days in sub-population II. The association mapping analysis showed significant association (p <0.05) of 17 SSR markers with flowering time. These markers explained 7.89 to 21.69% phenotypic variation. Among these 17 markers, 12 markers are derived from ESTs of lentil. The alignment of the EST sequences of these markers showed similarity with the gene sequences that were involved directly or indirectly in controlling flowering time in other pulse crops and might be the candidate genes for flowering time in lentil as well.