%0 Journal Article %@ 2045-2322 %A Sandhu, N %A Subedi, S R %A Singh, V K %A Sinha, P %A Kumar, S %A Singh, S P %A Ghimire, S K %A Pandey, M %A Yadaw, R B %A Varshney, R K %A Kumar, A %D 2019 %F icrisat:11255 %I Springer Nature Publishing %J Scientific Reports (TSI) %K rice, genetic basis, genomics, genetics, QTLs %N 9334 %P 1-16 %T Deciphering the genetic basis of root morphology, nutrient uptake, yield, and yield-related traits in rice under dry direct-seeded cultivation systems %U http://oar.icrisat.org/11255/ %V 9 (1) %X In the face of global water scarcity, a successful transition of rice cultivation from puddled to dry direct-seeded rice (DDSR) is a future need. A genome-wide association study was performed on a complex mapping population for 39 traits: 9 seedling-establishment traits, 14 root and nutrient-uptake traits, 5 plant morphological traits, 4 lodging resistance traits, and 7 yield and yield-contributing traits. A total of 10 significant marker-trait associations (MTAs) were found along with 25 QTLs associated with 25 traits. The percent phenotypic variance explained by SNPs ranged from 8% to 84%. Grain yield was found to be significantly and positively correlated with seedling-establishment traits, root morphological traits, nutrient uptake-related traits, and grain yield-contributing traits. The genomic colocation of different root morphological traits, nutrient uptake-related traits, and grain-yield-contributing traits further supports the role of root morphological traits in improving nutrient uptake and grain yield under DDSR. The QTLs/candidate genes underlying the significant MTAs were identified. The identified promising progenies carrying these QTLs may serve as potential donors to be exploited in genomics-assisted breeding programs for improving grain yield and adaptability under DDSR. %Z We thank the Asian Development Bank and Government of Finland for their financial support for this study through the project “TA8441-Development and dissemination of climate-resilient rice varieties for water-short areas of South Asia and Southeast Asia”.