Mapping of maternal QTLs for in vivo haploid induction rate in maize (Zea mays L.)

Haploid technology can significantly shorten the time required for inbred line improvement, accelerate the breeding process, and reduce breeding costs. The production of haploids is not only dependent on the genetics of the paternal haploid inducer, but it is also affected by the genetic background of the maternal donor during the process of haploid production. To address the maternal genetic contribution to haploid production, we pollinated a mapping population consisting of 186 F-2:3 family lines derived from a cross between Zheng58 and Chang7-2 with the inducer line CAU5 and selected haploid kernels using R1-nj kernel markers. Two quantitative trait loci (QTLs), qmhir1 and qmhir2, which contribute to the maternal genetics of haploid induction, were detected on chromosomes 1 and 3, respectively. The qmhir1 locus is located between the flanking marker loci umc1292 and bnlg1014, and it explained 14.70 % of the phenotypic variation. The qmhir2 locus is located between marker loci umc1844 and umc2277 and it explained 8.42 % of the phenotypic variation. The genetic effect of both QTLs is partial dominance.