QTL For Yield and Yield Components Mapped in the ‘PI 438489B' By ‘Hamilton' Recombinant Inbred Line Population of Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]

Yield and yield components are polygenic traits in many crops including soybean [Glycine max (L.)]. Reduced plant height is correlated with reduced yield. Plant height, seed and pod numbers, and seed weight are all components of yield and polygenic in nature. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for days to germination, days to flowering, plant height, pod number, seed number, 100-seed weight, and total seed weight in soybean using the using the ‘PI 438489B’ by ‘Hamilton’ recombinant inbred line (RIL) population (PIxH, n=50). A total of 18 QTL were found on 10 different chromosomes. Three QTL for days to germination (qDG001-qDG003) have been identified on chromosomes 5b, 6, and 13b. Two QTL (qDF001 and qDF002) have been identified on chromosomes 9 and 13b, respectively. On QTL for plant height (qPH001) have been identified on chromosome 6. Four QTL for pod number (qPN001-qPN004) had been identified on chromosomes 2, 6, and 8 (2 QTL), respectively. Two QTL for seed number (qSN001 and qSN002) have been identified on chromosomes 5b and 11b, respectively. Five QTL for 100-seed weight (qSW001 to qSW005) have been identified on chromosomes 5a, 6, 8, 9, and 11c, respectively. Two QTL for total seed weight (qTSW001 and qTSW002) have been identified on chromosomes 5b and 17c, respectively. The QTL identified here may be introduced in breeding programs to develop soybean cultivars with high yield potential.