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Quantitative trait loci mapping for yield components and kernel-related traits in multiple connected RIL populations in maize

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Abstract

Grain yield is one of the most important and complex quantitative traits in maize breeding. In the present study, a total of 11 connected RIL populations, derived from crosses between elite inbreed “Huangzaosi” as the common parent and 11 elite inbreeds, were evaluated for five yield components and kernel-related traits under six environments. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) were detected for the traits under each environment and in joint analysis across all environments for each population. A total of 146 major QTL with R2 > 10 % in at least one environment and also detected based on joint analysis across all environments were identified in the 11 populations. Lqkwei4 conferring kernel weight and Lqklen4-1 conferring kernel length both located in the adjacent marker intervals in bin 4.05 were stably expressed in four environments and in joint analysis across six environments, with the largest R2 over 27 and 24 % in a single environment, respectively. Moreover, all major QTL detected in the 11 populations were aligned on the IBM2 2008 neighbors reference map. Totally 16 common QTL (CQTL) were detected. Seven important CQTL (CQTL1-2, CQTL1-3, CQTL4-1, CQTL4-2, CQTL4-3, CQTL4-4, and CQTL6-1) were located in bin 1.07, 1.10, 4.03, 4.05, 4.08, 4.09 and 6.01–6.02, respectively. These chromosomal regions could be targets for fine mapping and marker-assisted selection.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partly supported by grants provided by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2011CB100100, 2009CB118401), International Science and Technology Cooperation Program of China (2011DFA30450) and Natural Science Foundation of China (U1138304). We thank the help of Prof. Jiankang Wang and Dr. Huihui Li in the data analysis and of Dr. Bailin Li for technique advice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China

    Chunhui Li, Yongxiang Li, Bo Peng, Zhizhai Liu, Zhaozhao Yang, Qingchao Li, Weiwei Tan, Yan Zhang, Di Wang, Yunsu Shi, Yanchun Song, Tianyu Wang & Yu Li

  2. Institute of Food Crops, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, 830000, China

    Baocheng Sun & Cheng Liu

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  1. Chunhui Li
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  2. Yongxiang Li
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  3. Baocheng Sun
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  4. Bo Peng
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  5. Cheng Liu
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  6. Zhizhai Liu
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Correspondence to Tianyu Wang or Yu Li.

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Y. Li—Co-author, equally contribute to the work

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Li, C., Li, Y., Sun, B. et al. Quantitative trait loci mapping for yield components and kernel-related traits in multiple connected RIL populations in maize. Euphytica 193, 303–316 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-013-0901-7

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