There is a close relationship between plant height (PH) and yield. The aim of this study is to further explore quantitative trait loci (QTL) of PH with breeding value in wheat and analyze the genetic effects of major QTL for PH on other yield related traits toward to providing a theoretical basis for molecular breeding.

A recombinant inbred line population (MC) derived from a cross between the natural mutant msf and Chuannong 16 (CN16) was used for QTL analysis. During 2020 to 2022, planting and PH phenotype identification were conducted at five environments in Wenjiang, Chongzhou, and Ya’an of Sichuan Province. The high-quality genetic linkage map constructed using the 16K SNP array was used for QTL mapping of PH. Genotypes of flanking markers of major QTL for PH were used to analyze the genetic effects of positive alleles on yield related traits and evaluate the potentiality of QTL for yield improvement.

Eight QTL controlling PH were identified on chromosomes 1A, 3D, 4D, 5A, and 7B, respectively. Among them, two stable and major QTL, QPh.sau-MC-1A and QPh.sau-MC-5A, were located, which explained 9.09% to 25.56% and 3.91% to 13.09% of the phenotypic variation rate, respectively. Their positive alleles were all from CN16. The additive effect analysis showed that PH of the lines carrying positive alleles from QPh.sau-MC-1A and QPh.sau-MC-5A was significantly higher than that of the lines carrying only a single positive allele or none. Correlation analysis showed that PH has a significantly positive correlation with effective tiller number (ETN), a significantly negative correlation with flag leaf width (FLW), and no significant correlation with kernel number per spike (KNPS), kernel weight per spike (KWPS), thousand kernel weight (TKW), flag leaf length (FLL) and anthesis date (AD). Genetic effects analysis showed that positive allele of QPh.sau-MC-1A had a significant effect on improving ETN (56.51%), a significant effect on decreasing KNPS (-11.26%), KWPS (-13.04%), TKW (-5.47%), and FLW (-2.85%), and a significant effect on advancing AD (-0.61%). Positive allele of QPh.sau-MC-5A had a significant effect on improving ETN (10.57%), KNPS (4.32%), and TKW (2.92%), and a significant effect on delaying AD (1.07%).

A major QTL QPh.sau-MC-5A for PH was mapped on chromosome 5A, and its positive allele significantly increased ETN, KNPS, and TKW, indicating that it may have a positive impact on yield.

Spike length (SL) plays an important role in determining spike structure and yield potential of wheat. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) for spike length were excavated and their genetic effects were further analyzed to provide theoretical basis for molecular breeding.

This study consisted of a population of 198 F₆ recombinant inbred lines (RIL) derived from the cross between the natural mutant msf and the cultivar Chuannong 16 (MC population). The MC population and its parents were planted in five different environments including Wenjiang in 2021 and 2022 (2021WJ and 2022WJ); Chongzhou in 2021 and 2022 (2021CZ and 2022CZ); and Ya’an in 2021 (2021YA) for spike length measurement. The 16K SNP chip-based constructed high-quality and high-density genetic linkage maps were used to map QTL for spike length. Additionally, the genotype of the flanking markers for the major spike length QTL was used to analyze its genetic effect on yield-related traits and thus to evaluate its potentiality for yield improvement.

A total of 14 QTL for spike length were identified and they were mainly distributed on chromosomes 1A (one), 1B (one), 2B (one), 3D (three), 4A (one), 4D (two), 5A (one), 5B (one), 7A (one), 7B (one), and 7D (one). Among them, QSl.sau.1A was detected in four environments and the best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) value, explained 6.46% to 20.12% of the phenotypic variation, and thus was regarded as a major QTL. The positive allele at QSl.sau.1A came from the parental line msf. QTL analysis across multiple environments also detected QSl.sau.1A, indicating it exhibits minimal environmental influence and represents a major and stably expressed QTL. The effect of QSl.sau.1A was successfully verified in two populations with different genetic backgrounds. Genetic effects analysis showed that the positive allele of QSl.sau.1A showed a significant effect on improving grain number per spike (12.68%), grain weight per spike (14.99%), 1000-grain weight (5.79%), flag leaf width (2.94%), spikelet number (1.48%), and flowering date (0.61%), and a significant effect of reducing plant height (-6.47%) and effective tiller number (-36.11%).

A major and stably expressed spike length QTL, QSl.sau.1A, was detected on chromosome 1A. Its positive allele significantly increased grain number per spike, grain weight per spike, thousand grain weight, and spikelet number per spike, indicating its great breeding value.