Mapping developmental QTL for plant height in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] using a four-way recombinant inbred line population

PLoS One. 2019 Nov 20;14(11):e0224897. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224897. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Plant height (PH) is an important trait in soybean, as taller plants may have higher yields but may also be at risk for lodging. Many genes act jointly to influence PH throughout development. To map the quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling PH, we used the unconditional variable method (UVM) and conditional variable method (CVM) to analyze PH data for a four-way recombinant inbred line (FW-RIL) population derived from the cross of (Kenfeng14 × Kenfeng15) × (Heinong48 × Kenfeng19). We identified 7, 8, 16, 19, 15, 27, 17, 27, 22, and 24 QTL associated with PH at 10 developmental stages, respectively. These QTL mapped to 95 genomic regions. Among these QTL, 9 were detected using UVM and CVM, and 89 and 66 were only detected by UVM or CVM, respectively. In total, 36 QTL controlling PH were detected at multiple developmental stages and these made unequal contributions to genetic variation throughout development. Among 19 novel regions discovered in our study, 7 could explain over 10% of the phenotypic variation and contained only one single QTL. The unconditional and conditional QTL detected here could be used in molecular design breeding across the whole developmental procedure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Chromosome Mapping*
  • Genetic Linkage
  • Genetics, Population
  • Glycine max / anatomy & histology
  • Glycine max / genetics*
  • Glycine max / growth & development*
  • Inbreeding*
  • Inheritance Patterns / genetics
  • Phenotype
  • Quantitative Trait Loci / genetics*
  • Recombination, Genetic / genetics*
  • Time Factors

Grants and funding

This study was supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFD0101303) to W-X.L., Scientific and Technological Foundation of Education Department of Heilongjiang Province (12541z001) for H.Ning.