Construction of a high density genetic map between cultivated and semi-wild soybeans and identification of QTLs for plant height

: In this study, 252 plants and their parents of Fengshou 24 × Tongjiao 83-611 were genotyped by SNP160K DNA-chip. A high-density genetic linkage map with a total length of 3661.46 cM was constructed, composing of 5861 SNP markers. Seven QTLs of plant height were detected by inclusive composite interval mapping (ICIM), and each one explained 2.56%  10.41% of the variation in plant height. qPH-6-1 had the highest contribution rate of phenotypic variation and dominant effect, explaining 10.41% of plant height variation, and the additive and dominant effects are –1.72 and 18.94, respectively. The contribution rate of qPH-18-1 was the second, explaining 9.64% of plant height variation, but qPH-18-1 has the highest additive effect, reaching –12.42. 11 plants with qPH-6-1 and qPH-18-1 66.03 kb, containing eight genes. Combined with gene annotation and relative expression difference analysis, it was hypothesized that Glyma.18G279800 and Glyma.18G280200 might be associated with plant height of soybean. This study provides a molecular reference base and genetic basis for the improvement of soybean plant architecture.