QTLs involved in plant height, peduncle length and heading date of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

In order to locate the QTLs for plant height, peduncle length, and heading date, a set of 107 wheat doubled haploid (DH) lines derived from the cross Fukuho-komugi× Oligoculm was grown during the growing seasons of 2004 and 2005. A total of 36 QTLs were identified based on composite interval mapping (CIM) approach. All detected plant height QTL’s were stable over the two years. QTLs located near RhtD1 (chromosome 4D) and in the Xta556-RhtB1 interval (chromosome 4B) accounted for, respectively, 40.1% and 28.9% of plant height variation in 2004 and 30.7% and 26.36% in 2005. The other two QTLs identified for plant height were located near Xcfd53 and Xwmc25a loci on chromosome 2D . The results of composite interval mapping indicated that all detected QTLs for peduncle length were coincident with plant height QTLs. Of the most important heading date QTLs, the only stable one over years was located in the Xcfd53-Xbarc168 interval on chromosome 2D and accounted for 34.05% and 31.9% of heading date variation in 2004 and 2005, respectively. The Xbarc168-Xgwm484 interval (LOD> 8.3) carried the other important QTL for heading date in 2004. In general, based on expression of stable and major effect QTLs in present study, it is possible to increase efficiency of marker assisted selection for the traits in breeding programs.