AUTHOR=Wang Zhiqiang , Hu Haiyan , Jiang Xiaojun , Tao Yang , Lin Yu , Wu Fangkun , Hou Shuai , Liu Shihang , Li Caixia , Chen Guangdeng , Liu Yaxi 

TITLE=Identification and Validation of a Novel Major Quantitative Trait Locus for Plant Height in Common Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Genetics

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2020.602495

DOI=10.3389/fgene.2020.602495

ISSN=1664-8021

ABSTRACT=<p>Plant height (PH) plays a pivotal role in plant morphological architecture and is associated with yield potential in wheat. For the quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis, a recombinant inbred line population was developed between varieties differing significantly in PH. Two major QTL were identified on chromosomes 4B (<italic>QPh.sicau-4B</italic>) and 6D (<italic>QPh.sicau-6D</italic>) in multiple environments, which were then validated in two different backgrounds by using closely linked markers. <italic>QPh.sicau-4B</italic> explained 10.1–21.3% of the phenotypic variance, and the location corresponded to the dwarfing gene <italic>Rht-B1</italic>. <italic>QPh.sicau-6D</italic> might be a novel QTL for PH, explaining 6.6–13.6% of the phenotypic variance and affecting spike length, thousand-kernel weight, and spikelet compactness. Three candidate genes associated with plant growth and development were identified in the physical interval of <italic>QPh.sicau-6D</italic>. Collectively, we identified a novel stable and major PH QTL, <italic>QPh.sicau-6D</italic>, which could aid in the development of closely linked markers for marker-assisted breeding and cloning genes underlying this QTL.</p>