ASHS 2024 Conference

Understanding the genetic basis of mineral element contents in crops is crucial for improving their nutritional value. This study conducted a comprehensive Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with the accumulation of 14 essential mineral elements in spinach (Spinacia oleracea). Utilizing a diverse collection of 281 spinach accessions, we assessed the content of Boron (B), Calcium (Ca), Cobalt (Co), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Potassium (K), Magnesium (Mg), Manganese (Mn), Molybdenum (Mo), Sodium (Na), Nickel (Ni), Phosphorus (P), Sulfur (S), and Zinc (Zn), expressed in micrograms or milligrams per gram of dry weight (µg/gDW or mg/gDW). Genotyping revealed 83,952 SNPs across the spinach genome, analyzed using GAPIT3 and TASSEL5 software platforms. Statistical models employed included General Linear Model (GLM), Mixed Linear Model (MLM), FarmCPU, and BLINK within GAPIT, alongside SMR and GLM in TASSEL. Our analysis uncovered 33 significant SNP-trait associations distributed among the minerals: one for B, Cu, P, and K; two for Ca, Ni, Fe, Zn, and S; three for Mo and Mg; four for Na and Co; five for Mn. These findings highlight the genetic diversity influencing mineral nutrient accumulation in spinach and offer valuable markers for breeding nutritionally enhanced spinach varieties.