marker-assisted-selection
Marker-assisted selection (MAS) is a breeding technique that uses genetic markers linked to desirable traits to indirectly select for those traits, rather than waiting to observe the trait directly in the plant. This approach accelerates crop improvement by allowing breeders to identify promising plants at the seedling stage, long before traits like disease resistance or yield potential become visible. MAS has transformed modern plant breeding by increasing precision and efficiency, enabling the development of improved varieties in fewer generations.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-29
Scientists identified five key genetic regions in wheat that reliably control flag leaf size across multiple environments, and developed molecular tools to help breeders select for larger, more productive leaves — potentially boosting wheat yields.
Five major, stable genetic regions (QTLs) were identified controlling flag leaf length, width, area, and shape ratio, each explaining 10–16% of the trait variation on average.
A genetic map of 11,583 markers was built and used to map 97–273 QTLs across six environments using three different statistical methods.
Three KASP molecular markers closely linked to these QTLs were validated in independent populations and shown to have a pyramiding effect — stacking multiple favorable loci progressively increases flag leaf size.
