To understand the genetic background of root growth of rice ( Oryza sativa L.) seedlings under different water supply conditions, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and epistatic effect on seminal root length, maximum adventitious root length, adventitious root number, total root dry weight and ratio of root to shoot were detected using molecular map including 103 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers and 104 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers mapped on a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population with 150 lines derived from a cross between an lowland rice IR1552 and an upland rice Azucena in both solution culture (lowland condition) and paper culture (upland condition). Six QTLs and twenty-two pairs of epistatic loci for the four parameters were detected. Three QTLs detected for maximum adventitious root length in solution culture (MARLS), total root dry weight in both solution culture and paper culture (TRDWS and TRDWP) accounted for about 20%, 23% and 13% of the total variations, respectively. Only epistatic loci were found for maximum adventitious root length and adventitious root number in paper culture (MARLP and ARNP), and for ratio of root to shoot in both paper and solution culture (R/SP and R/SS), which accounted for about 12%-61% of the total variations in the parameters, respectively. No identical QTL or epistatic loci were found for the parameters in both solution and paper culture. The results indicate that there is a different genetic system responsible to root growth of rice seedlings under lowland and upland conditions and epistasis might be the major genetic basis for MARLP, ARNP, R/SP and R/SS.
