PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Fatemeh Saeidnia AU - Mohammad Mahdi Majidi AU - Aghafakhr Mirlohi TI - Genome-wide association study revealed loci linked to post-drought recovery and traits related to persistence of smooth bromegrass (<em>Bromus inermis</em>) AID - 10.1101/2021.05.16.444329 DP - 2021 Jan 01 TA - bioRxiv PG - 2021.05.16.444329 4099 - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/05/18/2021.05.16.444329.short 4100 - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/05/18/2021.05.16.444329.full AB - Association analysis has been proved as a powerful tool for genetic dissection of complex traits. This study was conducted to identify marker–trait associations for recovery, persistence, and as well as finding stable associations. In this study, a diverse panel of polycross derived progenies of smooth bromegrass was phenotyped under normal and water stress, during three consecutive years. Association analysis was performed between nine important agronomic traits along with three seasonal growth activity indices based on 535 SRAP markers. Population structure analysis identified five main subpopulations possessing significant genetic differences. Association analysis using mixed linear mode1 identified 339 and 233 marker-trait associations under normal and water stress environments, respectively. Some of these markers were associated with more than one trait; which can be attributed to pleiotropic effects or to a number of tightly linked genes affecting several traits. If the effectiveness of these markers in genetic control of these traits is validated, they could be potentially used for initiation of marker-assisted selection and targeted trait introgression of smooth bromegrass under normal and water stress environments.Highlight In this study, stable marker-trait associations (MTAs) between years and moisture regimes (normal and water stress environments) were identified in a diverse panel of polycross derived progenies of smooth bromegrass.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.AbbreviationsDMY1dry matter yield of cut 1DMY2dry matter yield of cut 2DRADdegree of recovery after droughtGCVgenotypic coefficient of variationGLMgeneral linear modelGWASgenome wide association studyLDlinkage disequilibriumMASmarker assisted selectionMLMmixed linear modelMTAmarker trait associationPCVphenotypic coefficient of variationPERpersistenceQTLquantitative trait lociRYrecovery yieldSDIsummer dormancy indexSRAPsequence related amplified polymorphism.