title: Phenotypic Characterization and Genetic Dissection of Growth Period Traits in Soybean (Glycine max) Using Association Mapping.
abstract: The growth period traits are important traits that affect soybean yield. The insights into the genetic basis of growth period traits can provide theoretical basis for cultivated area division, rational distribution, and molecular breeding for soybean varieties. In this study, genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) was exploited to detect the quantitative trait loci (QTL) for number of days to flowering (ETF), number of days from flowering to maturity (FTM), and number of days to maturity (ETM) using 4032 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers with 146 cultivars mainly from Northeast China. Results showed that abundant phenotypic variation was presented in the population, and variation explained by genotype, environment, and genotype by environment interaction were all significant for each trait. The whole accessions could be clearly clustered into two subpopulations based on their genetic relatedness, and accessions in the same group were almost from the same province. GWAS based on the unified mixed model identified 19 significant SNPs distributed on 11 soybean chromosomes, 12 of which can be consistently detected in both planting densities, and 5 of which were pleotropic QTL. Of 19 SNPs, 7 SNPs located in or close to the previously reported QTL or genes controlling growth period traits. The QTL identified with high resolution in this study will enrich our genomic understanding of growth period traits and could then be explored as genetic markers to be used in genomic applications in soybean breeding.
authors.affiliation: National Key Facility for Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhangxiong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: National Key Facility for Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Huihui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soybean Research, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Xuhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Tonghua Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Meihekou, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Jilin City Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jilin, China.
authors.forename: Jiyu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Jiamusi Branch of Heilongjiang Agricultural Sciences, Jiamusi, China.
authors.forename: Candong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America.
authors.forename: Zixiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: National Key Facility for Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yinghui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: National Key Facility for Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Rongxia
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: National Key Facility for Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: National Key Facility for Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ruzhen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America.
authors.forename: Dechun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soybean Research, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Shuming
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: National Key Facility for Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Li-Juan
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Qiu
mesh_terms: D001947:Breeding; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D014644:Genetic Variation; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D010641:Phenotype; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci / Q000235:genetics; D013025:Glycine max / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*