QTLs for stomatal and photosynthetic traits related to salinity tolerance in barley

Background:Stomata regulate photosynthesis and transpiration, and these processes are critical for plant responses to abiotic stresses such as salinity. A barley double haploid population with 108 lines derived from a cross between CM72 (salt-tolerant) and Gairdner (salt-sensitive) was used to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with stomatal and photosynthetic traits related to salinity tolerance.Results:A total of 11 significant QTLs (LOD > 3.0) and 11 tentative QTLs (2.5 Conclusions:The lack of major QTLs for gas exchange and stomatal traits under control and saline conditions indicates a complex relationship between salinity and leaf gas exchange due to the fact that these complex quantitative traits are under the control of multiple genes