bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.15.435454; this version posted March 16, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. Insights into the genetic architecture of complex traits in Napier grass (Cenchrus purpureus) and QTL regions governing forage biomass yield, water use efficiency and feed quality traits Meki S. Muktar1, Ermias Habte1, Abel Teshome1, Yilikal Assefa1, Alemayehu T. Negawo1, Ki-Won Lee2, Jiyu Zhang3 & Chris S. Jones4* 1Feed and Forage Development, International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2Grassland and Forages Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Cheonan, 31000, Republic of Korea 3State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China 4Feed and Forage Development, International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya * Correspondence: C.S.J. (email:
[email protected]) Keywords: agro-morphological, elephant grass, GWAS, feed quality, anthocyanin, QTL, water-use efficiency. Abstract Napier grass is the most important perennial tropical grass native to Sub-Saharan Africa and widely grown in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, primarily as a forage crop for animal feed, but with potential as an energy crop and in a wide range of other areas. Genomic resources have recently been developed for Napier grass that need to be deployed for genetic improvement and molecular dissection of important agro-morphological and feed quality traits.