Genome-wide association study of agronomic traits in rice cultivated in temperate regions

Background Rice plants are sensitive to the agro-climate conditions, being photoperiod one of main factor contributing to their adaptation to the region where they are grown. Dissecting the genetic bases underlying diversity in rice populations adapted to specific environmental conditions is a fundamental resource for breeding. In this study we have analysed a collection of japonica varieties adapted to temperate regions to perform association studies with traits of high agronomical interest such as heading date, plant height, number of panicles, panicle length and number of grains per panicle.