Unveiling the genetic Landscape of agronomic traits in bread wheat through Genome wide association Studies

Critical understanding of the genetic basis of yield-related traits through the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) is essential for accelerating wheat improvement. The aim of this study was to evaluate diverse genotypes for yield-related traits and conducting GWAS to pinpoint genomic regions responsible for these traits. A field trial with 150 diverse bread wheat genotypes was conducted to evaluate eleven yield-related traits. in RCBD design with three replicates. Statistical analysis included Pearson’s correlation, step-wise multiple regression, structural equation modeling, and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed to assess trait relationships. The genome-wide association studies (GWAS) panel was genotyped using a 37K SNP array to identify trait associations. A total of 37,401 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed to recognize 39 marker-trait associations (MTAs) across the panel. Nine MTAs for PH, 18 for PL, one for tillers, one for FLL, three for SL, one for GPS, three for biomass, and three for GYPP were identified. The most important traits contributing to yield were biomass, spike weight, plant height, peduncle length and tillers. Genotypic analysis for the clustering of wheat germplasm in this study revealed significant clusters among the wheat lines. This study provides perceptive of the genetic framework underlying key agronomic traits in bread wheat. The identification of genomic regions related with those traits offers critical insights for breeding programs aimed at improving wheat yield. Future research should validate markers across environments and integrate genomic selection and Marker assisted breeding for resilient wheat.