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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #95312
Title: GENETICS OF SOYBEAN AGRONOMIC TRAITS: COMPARISON OF THREE RELATED RECOMBINANT INBRED POPULATIONS

Author
item ORF, J - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
item Cregan, Perry
item CHASE, K. - UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
item ADLER, F - UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
item LARK, K - UNIVERSITY OF UTAH

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/14/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) define the approximate chromosonal position of the genes that determine traits that are under the control of a number of genes. These genes frequently interact with the environment to create the Aphenotype@ of a plant or animal. In plants, traits such as seed yield, environmental stress, seed protein or oil level, etc. are quantitative traits. A major use of molecular genetic markers is to find the location in the genome of the various genes or QTL that control quantitative traits. In this study, three large soybean populations were grown in a number of different field environments to find the QTL controlling important quantitative traits such as seed yield, seed filling period, maturity, etc. QTL controlling the various traits were associated with genetic markers on many of the linkage groups (chromosomes) of the soybean. A few key locations in the genome of the soybean were particularly important in controlling a number of traits in each of the three populations, while in some cases a QTL was unique to one population. These QTL provide genetic loci that are now defined by the presence of nearby genetic markers. The DNA markers and the associated QTL can be used by soybean breeders for purposes of developing improved soybean varieties.

Technical Abstract: Agronomic traits were measured and compared in three recombinant inbred (RI) soybean populations derived from crosses between >Minsoy= and >Noir 1= (MN) Minsoy and >Archer= (MA) and Noir 1 x Archer (NA). Measurements from the MN population comprised three replication grown in four locations. The two populations, MA and NA, were grown together as two replications in each of four locations. The traits measured included height, lodging, date of flowering, reproductive period, maturity, yield, seed weight, seed oil and protein, leaf length and leaf width. Each of the three RI populations was also characterized with a large number of genetic markers including RFLPs and SSRs. Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) then were identified for all of the traits at a significance level > LOD 3. QTL were found on all but three of the 20 linkage groups but tended to be clustered on a few. For almost all traits, QTL with major effects (> 10%) were identified, and in most cases explained more than half of the heritable variation. Many of the significant QTL identified in one population were confirmed in another. However, an almost equal number were only found in one population, suggesting that a dependence on the genetic background for expression (epistasis).is a common phenomena.