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Review
. 2021 May;11(5):244.
doi: 10.1007/s13205-021-02799-4. Epub 2021 Apr 29.

Genome-wide association mapping in maize: status and prospects

Kumari Shikha  1 , J P Shahi  1 , M T Vinayan  2 , P H Zaidi  2 , A K Singh  1 , B Sinha  1
Affiliations
Review

Genome-wide association mapping in maize: status and prospects

Kumari Shikha et al. 3 Biotech. 2021 May.

Abstract

Genome-wide association study (GWAS) provides a robust and potent tool to retrieve complex phenotypic traits back to their underlying genetics. Maize is an excellent crop for performing GWAS due to diverse genetic variability, rapid decay of linkage disequilibrium, availability of distinct sub-populations and abundant SNP information. The application of GWAS in maize has resulted in successful identification of thousands of genomic regions associated with many abiotic and biotic stresses. Many agronomic and quality traits of maize are severely affected by such stresses and, significantly affecting its growth and productivity. To improve productivity of maize crop in countries like India which contribute only 2% to the world's total production in 2019-2020, it is essential to understand genetic complexity of underlying traits. Various DNA markers and trait associations have been revealed using conventional linkage mapping methods. However, it has achieved limited success in improving polygenic complex traits due to lower resolution of trait mapping. The present review explores the prospects of GWAS in improving yield, quality and stress tolerance in maize besides, strengths and challenges of using GWAS for molecular breeding and genomic selection. The information gathered will facilitate elucidation of genetic mechanisms of complex traits and improve efficiency of marker-assisted selection in maize breeding.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-021-02799-4.

Keywords: GWAS; Maize; Productivity; QTLs; Stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no competing interest in the publication.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A generalized procedure of genome-wide association study
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Factors affecting GWAS accuracy and resolution at successive stages.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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