Identification of oil content QTLs on Arahy12 and Arahy16, and development of KASP markers in cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Peanut kernels rich in oil, particularly those with oleic acid as their primary fatty acid, are in high demand among consumers, the food industry, and farmers due to their superior nutritional content, extended shelf life, and health benefits. The oil content and fatty acid composition are governed by multiple genetic factors. Identifying the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to these attributes will facilitate marker-assisted selection and genomic selection, thus enhancing quality-focused peanut breeding programs. For this purpose, we developed a population of 521 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) and tested their kernel quality traits across five different environments. We identified two major and stable QTLs for oil content, qOCAh12.1 and qOCAh16.1. The markers linked to these QTLs were designed by Kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) and subsequently validated. Moreover, we found that the superior haplotype of oil content in the qOCAh16.1 region was conserved within the plant introduction (PI) germplasm cluster, as evidenced by a diverse peanut accession panel. In addition, we determined that qAh09 and qAh19.1, which harbor the key gene encoding fatty acid desaturase 2 (FAD2), influence all seven fatty acids, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, arachidic, gadoleic, and behenic acids. Regarding the protein content and the long-chain saturated fatty acid behenic acid, qAh07 emerged as the major and stable QTL, accounting for over 10% of the phenotypic variation explained (PVE). These findings can enhance marker-assisted selection in peanut breeding, with the aim of improving the oil content, and deepen our understanding of the genetic mechanisms that shape fatty acid composition.