1 3 Theor Appl Genet (2014) 127:1607–1624 DOI 10.1007/s00122-014-2322-y ORIGINAL PAPER Genetic control of grain yield and grain physical characteristics in a bread wheat population grown under a range of environmental conditions Lancelot Maphosa · Peter Langridge · Helen Taylor · Boris Parent · Livinus C. Emebiri · Haydn Kuchel · Matthew P. Reynolds · Ken J. Chalmers · Anzu Okada · James Edwards · Diane E. Mather Received: 23 September 2013 / Accepted: 2 May 2014 / Published online: 28 May 2014 © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014 population grown under a range of environmental condi- tions in Australia and Mexico. In general, yield and grain quality were reduced in environments exposed to drought and/or heat stress. Despite large effects of known photoper- iod-sensitivity loci (Ppd-B1 and Ppd-D1) on crop develop- ment, grain yield and grain quality traits, it was possible to detect QTL elsewhere in the genome. Some of these QTL were detected consistently across environments. A locus on chromosome 6A (TaGW2) that is known to be associ- ated with grain development was associated with grain width, thickness and roundness. The grain hardness (Ha) locus on chromosome 5D was associated with particle size index and flour extraction and a region on chromosome 3B was associated with grain width, thickness, thousand grain weight and yield. The genetic control of grain length Abstract Key message Genetic analysis of the yield and physi- cal quality of wheat revealed complex genetic control, including strong effects of photoperiod-sensitivity loci. Abstract Environmental conditions such as moisture defi- cit and high temperatures during the growing period affect the grain yield and grain characteristics of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The aim of this study was to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for grain yield and grain qual- ity traits using a Drysdale/Gladius bread wheat mapping Communicated by Mark E. Sorrells. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00122-014-2322-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. L. Maphosa · P. Langridge · B. Parent · K. J. Chalmers · A. Okada · D. E. Mather (*) Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics and School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia e-mail: diane.mather@adelaide.edu.au Present Address: L. Maphosa Department of Environment and Primary Industries, 110 Natimuk Road, Horsham, VIC 3400, Australia H. Taylor New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia Present Address: B. Parent Laboratoire d’Ecophysiologie des Plantes sous Stress Environnementaux, Institut National de Recherches Agronomiques (INRA), Place Viala, F-34060 Montpellier, France L. C. Emebiri E.H. Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia H. Kuchel Australian Grain Technologies and School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia M. P. Reynolds Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo (CIMMYT), Int. Apdo. Postal 6-641, 06600 Mexico, D.F., Mexico J. Edwards Australian Grain Technologies, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia