Relation among plant growth, carbohydrates and flowering time in the Arabidopsis Landsberg erecta x Kondara recombinant inbred line population

Arabidopsis thaliana natural variation was used to study plant performance viewed as the accumulation of photo-assimilates, their allocation and storage, in relation to other growth-related features and flowering-related traits. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis using recombinant inbred lines derived from the cross between Landsberg erecta (originating from Poland) and Kondara (originating from Tajikistan) grown on hydroponics, revealed QTLs for the different aspects of plant growth-related traits, sugar and starch contents and flowering-related traits. Co-locations of QTLs for these different aspects were detected at different regions, mainly at the ER locus; the top of chromosomes 3, 4 and 5; and the bottom of chromosome 5. Increased plant growth was associated with early flowering and leaf transitory starch, and correlated negatively with the levels of soluble sugar at early phases of development. From the significant correlations and the co-locations of the QTLs for these aspects, we conclude that there is a complex relationship between plant growth-related traits, carbohydrate content and flowering-related traits.