Striga asiatica L. is a parasitic weed in cereal crops including maize leading to tremendous yield losses up to 100% under severe infestation. The available S. asiatica control methods include cultural control options such as uprooting and burning the Striga plants before they flower, field sanitation, crop rotation, intercropping, organic matter usage, improved fallows, and application of herbicides. Resource limitation among smallholder farmers renders almost all of the control methods impossible. Development and use of Striga resistant genotypes are seen as the most feasible management option. Marker identification formulates tools that are faster, cheaper, and easier to utilise in breeding for S. asiatica resistance which has low heritability. The objective of this study was to identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for Striga resistance using the genome-wide association study (GWAS). Genotyping by sequencing was done on tropical maize inbred lines followed by their evaluation for Striga resistance. Analysis of variance showed significant () variation among evaluated genotypes for Striga resistance traits such as germination distance, germination percentage, haustoria root attachments, total Striga plants emerged, total biomass, and growth rate. There were also significant differences () for cobs, leaves, stems, and roots weight. The broad sense heritability was fairly high (up to 61%) for most traits. The means for derived traits on stress tolerance indices were subjected to a -test, and significant differences () were found for leaves, stem, roots, shoots, and total biomass. The Manhattan plots from GWAS showed the presence of three SNP markers on chromosome numbers 5, 6, and 7 for total Striga plants emerged. The identified markers for resistance to S. asiatica should be validated and utilised to breed for Striga resistance in tropical maize.

中文翻译：

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热带玉米独脚金抗性的全基因组关联研究

独脚金是一种寄生于谷类作物（包括玉米）中的杂草，在严重侵染下会导致产量损失高达 100%。可用的S. asiatica控制方法包括栽培控制选项，例如在独脚金开花前将其连根拔起和焚烧、田间卫生、轮作、间作、有机物使用、改良休耕和使用除草剂。小农的资源限制使几乎所有的控制方法都变得不可能。独脚金抗性基因型的开发和使用被视为最可行的管理选择。标记识别制定了在S. asiatica育种中更快、更便宜且更易于使用的工具遗传性低的抗性。本研究的目的是使用全基因组关联研究 (GWAS)鉴定独脚金抗性的单核苷酸多态性 (SNP) 标记。通过测序对热带玉米自交系进行基因分型，然后评估独脚金抗性。方差分析显示显着（)独脚金抗性性状评估基因型之间的变异，例如发芽距离、发芽百分比、吸器根附着、出现的独脚金植物总数、总生物量和生长速率。也有显着差异（)表示玉米棒子、叶子、茎和根的重量。大多数性状的广义遗传力相当高（高达 61%）。衍生性状对胁迫耐受指数的均值进行了 a -检验，差异显着（)用于叶、茎、根、芽和总生物量。来自 GWAS 的曼哈顿图显示，出现的独脚金植物总数的 5、6 和 7 号染色体上存在三个 SNP 标记。应验证已鉴定的抗积雪草抗性标记并将其用于在热带玉米中培育独脚金抗性。