| Summary: | Global demand for high-quality rice has grown substantially in recent years and continues to trend upward due to taste preferences and a greater interest in healthy diets. Most rice quality traits are inherited in a complex way and may be affected by multiple genes and environmental factors. In this study, we conducted a simple sequence repeat (SSR)-based genetic analysis of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting aroma, amylose content (AC) and cooked grain elongation (GE), which are the major quality characteristics in rice. The QTL analysis was performed using an F2 population of a cross between two Oryza sativa ssp. indica-type varieties, "Basmati 370" and "MR 84", comprising of 90 plants. A total of 96 polymorphic markers were distributed over 12 rice chromosomes, each containing at least four markers. A total of nine QTLs (LOD>3.0) were detected for the three studied traits, including four for aroma, three for AC and two for GE. The highest number of QTLs was mapped to chromosome 8, with four QTLs for aroma. Two QTLs each for AC (qAC-3-1 and qAC-5-1) and GE (qGE-2-1 and qGE-2-2) are reported here for the first time. These QTL markers could be utilised as indirect selection tools in breeding programmes.
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