Triticeae Genomics and Genetics, 2025, Vol.16, No.6, 254-261 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/tgg 259 What's more interesting is that researchers have also developed universal markers on the chromosome arms, with the aim of precisely tracking the chromatin segments related to important traits, helping to introduce superior genes into locally adapted varieties. Although it is still in the exploratory stage at present, this set of tools has indeed played an accelerating role in early selection and gene aggregation. From a trend perspective, the combination of molecular technology and phenotypic methods should gradually enhance the breeding efficiency of winter rye in terms of lodging resistance in China (Han et al., 2020; Zhu et al., 2022). 7 Conclusions and Future Perspectives In rye lodging resistance breeding, researchers usually focus on several prominent phenotypic characteristics, such as the plant being less tall, the stem being thicker, and the possibility of toppling down being smaller. These characteristics do not occur randomly and have a certain genetic basis behind them, such as the well-known Ddw1 dwarfted allele. However, not all anti-lodging rye varieties look the same. Some may have more vascular bundles in their stems, some have thicker cell walls, or have higher lignin and mineral content than other varieties (all of which help to support the plants). As for breeding, molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS) is still quite commonly used at present. At least it can help screen out those unsuitable materials early and save some time. However, it also has limitations, especially the prediction effect is not very stable among different germplasms. For instance, one of the biggest challenges in MAS is the interaction between the environment and genotypes. Some alleles, such as Ddw1, sometimes behave in a heterozygous state that is somewhat confusing. Moreover, environmental changes can easily mask the traits themselves, making it a bit difficult to achieve "stable selection". Not to mention that once it is used in distant germplasm, the accuracy is even less guaranteed. These circumstances indicate that relying solely on MAS may not be sufficient. It is also necessary to consider integrating it with more comprehensive genomic methods, along with verification in multiple environments, to make it more reliable. Looking ahead, genomic selection (GS) is clearly a more promising direction. It is no longer confined to a few marker sites but uses the marker data of the entire genome to predict breeding values. Especially after conducting field trials at multiple locations and for many consecutive years, the accuracy of this method is generally higher than that of MAS. Meanwhile, the new generation of high-throughput phenotypic technology has also begun to play a role. It enables us to conduct larger-scale and more accurate measurements of lodging traits, which is most suitable for supplementing genomic data. A further approach is to combine genomic selection, MAS and phenotypic platforms into a more systematic "design breeding" strategy - bringing together multiple favorable genes while taking into account the mutual influence among traits and the interference of environmental changes. This integration approach might be able to solve the past bottlenecks and eventually breed rye varieties that can stand firm under various climatic and cultivation conditions. Acknowledgments We would like to express our gratitude to the reviewers for their valuable feedback, which helped improve the manuscript. Conflict of Interest Disclosure The authors affirm that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. References Anilkumar C., Sunitha N.H., Devate N., and Ramesh S., 2022, Advances in integrated genomic selection for rapid genetic gain in crop improvement: a review, Planta, 256(6): 110. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-022-03996-y Boopathi N., 2020, Marker-assisted selection (MAS), Genetic Mapping and Marker Assisted Selection, 13: 946700. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2949-8_9 Hackauf B., Siekmann D., and Fromme F., 2022, Improving yield and yield stability in winter rye by hybrid breeding, Plants, 11(19): 2666. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11192666 Han G., Liu S., Jin Y., Jia M., Ma P., Liu H., Wang J., and An D., 2020, Scale development and utilization of universal PCR-based and high-throughput KASP markers specific for chromosome arms of rye (Secale cereale L.), BMC Genomics, 21: 206. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-020-6624-y
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