Integrating crop modelling and genomics to accelerate plant improvement: Preliminary assessment of progress from a pilot study in sugarcane

摘要

Crop yield is a complex trait governed by dynamic interactions between plant and environment, integrating crop modelling and genomic technologies provides an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the underlying physiological mechanisms and genetic basis of these interactions and has the potential to enhance plant improvement. This communication reviews progress in an exploratory project to integrate genomics and crop modelling in sugarcane. Stalk and leaf elongation rate per unit thermal time, and photochemical light use efficiency were measured in two experiments for 80 clones of a mapping population.These genetically determined traits were chosen because they are important in determining resource capture and yield formation, and are relatively easily measured. The suitability of crop models for simulating simple trait effects on crop performance is assessed. The heritability of traits and their association with molecular markers are reported.The reliability of regression equations to predict trait values from marker data is assessed