Identifying genes for yield-related traits under drought stress conditions in durum wheat

Abiotic stress strongly affects yield-related traits in durum wheat. In particular drought is one of the main environmental factors reducing grain yield. Hundreds of quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been identified for yield-related traits across different genetic backgrounds and environments. Meta-QTL (MQTL) analysis is a useful approach to combine data sets and for creating consensus positions for QTL detected in individual studies. MQTL analysis makes it possible to dissect the genetic architecture of complex traits, provide a higher mapping resolution and allow the identification of putative molecular markers useful for marker assisted selection (MAS). This chapter provides an overview of the use of MQTL analysis in identification of genomic regions associated with grain-yield related traits in durum wheat under different water regimes.