Plants with improved digestibility and marker haplotypes

A method for identifying a maize plant or plant part having improved digestibility comprising:

• a) screening for the presence of a QTL allele associated with improved digestibility, said QTL allele comprising a nucleotide sequence of a gene encoding a cytochrome P450 flavonoid 3′,5′-hydroxylase (F35H) located on chromosome 9, having a mutation leading to reduced or absent expression of the mRNA of the F35H gene and/or the F35H protein, or a mutation leading to an F35H protein having reduced enzymatic activity upon translation or a nonfunctional F35H protein, or
• b) screening for reduced or absent expression of the mRNA of a gene encoding F35H and/or the F35H protein or for an F35H protein having reduced enzymatic activity upon translation or a nonfunctional F35H protein, or
• c) screening for the presence of a mutation leading to reduced or absent expression of the mRNA of the F35H and/or the F35H protein, or a mutation leading to an F35H protein having reduced enzymatic activity upon translation or a nonfunctional F35H protein;
• and
• selecting a maize plant or plant part having reduced or absent expression of the mRNA of the F35H and/or the F35H protein, or an F35H protein having reduced enzymatic activity upon translation or a nonfunctional F35H protein identified in steps a)-c),
• wherein the unmutated F35H is selected from the group consisting of:
• (i) a nucleotide sequence comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 1;
• (ii) a nucleotide sequence having the cDNA of SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• (iii) a nucleotide sequence encoding for an amino acid sequence having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 3;
• (iv) a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 1 or 2;
• and
• (v) a nucleotide sequence encoding for a polypeptide having at least 90% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 3.