Quantitative Trait Loci Associated with Moisture, Protein, and Oil Content in Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) for moisture, protein, and oil content in soybean grown in two plant density environments. Soybean recombinant inbred lines (RIL), obtained from a cross between cultivars PI 438489B and Hamilton, were used. Thirty one linkage groups were obtained from high density genetic linkage maps constructed by 1,536 Universal Soy Linkage Panel 1.0 of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) markers. For the lines cultivated in higher plant density (25 cm row space), ten QTLs were mapped in A2, B2, C2, D1a, M and O linkage groups for moisture, protein, and oil. Two QTLs for moisture, two QTLs for protein and six QTLs for oil explained 0.09, 15.36 and 3.54% of the phenotypic variation of moisture, protein, and oil respectively. For the lines cultivated in lower density (50 cm row space), three QTLs for each of moisture and protein were mapped in linkage groups A2, C1, D1b, L and O; QTLs for moisture and protein explained 0.96 and 10.63% of the phenotypic variation respectively. These QTL will facilitate the implementation of MAS for moisture, protein and oil content in soybean-breeding programs.