Identification of genomic regions for various agronomic traits in turkish common bean germplasm with genome wide association studies (GWAS)

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) is a powerful tool for the identification of markers associated with various desirable traits. In this study, we uncovered the genetic basis underlying the variations for agronomic traits present in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) collected from 19 provinces of Turkey. GWAS analysis was performed by using DArTseq and SNP markers systems. Weighting Method for a Linear Mixed Model (WMLM) approach was employed to investigate the marker-trait association. Among the 16 studied traits, SNP markers reflected marker-trait association for 14 traits, while DArTseq markers resulted for 11 traits. This is very first study claiming the marker traits association for various agronomic traits. Some SNP markers showed multi traits associations due to pleiotropic effect and these markers can be effectively utilized for the common bean breeding perspectives. A total of 12 landraces has been selected on the basis of their superior performance in five different environments. Identified linked markers must be validated under multi-location/year experiments and after their validation, these markers could be converted into KASP assay in the near future for the more precise and productive common bean breeding activities.