MICROSATELLITE MARKER BASED HYBRIDITY ASSESSMENT FOR SALINITY TOLERANCE IN RICE

Abstract

Development salinity tolerant rice varieties have been a prioritized research area in rice breeding programs in Sri Lanka. Present study was initiated with the cross of At354, a salt tolerant parent and Bg352, a salt susceptible parent aiming at identifying salinity tolerant quantitative trait loci (QTL) in elite rice background. In rice, as getting true hybrids is a technical problem, F1 progeny was assessed using microsatellite markers that are close proximity to Saltol QTL in chromosome 1. SSR Markers such as RM1287, RM493, RM10772, RM10852 and RM140 were polymorphic between parents. Six true hybrids were selected by polymorphic markers and subsequent generations were developed successfully by single seed descent method. This study explains the feasibility of utilizing microsatellite markers for verification of hybridity, surveying of polymorphic markers in chromosome 1 of At354 and Bg352 and progress towards Recombinant Inbred Line population development.