Natural occurrence of autopolyploidy within the allotetraploid-cultivated peanut

The cultivated peanut is classified as an allotetraploid species. During the past several years, abnormal plants with coarse stems, thick leaves and an occasional single seed per pod have been found within different cultivars and advanced breeding lines. The spontaneous natural occurrence of these plants has been very rare, and frequently they do not produce any pods or seed. However, over a 3‐year period (2001–2003), four individual plant selections with one mature seed per plant were found and saved. In 2003, another similar plant was also found that had the same plant characteristics, except for a single branch that had normal leaves with typical two‐seeded pods. A greenhouse study was conducted during the winter of 2003–2004. The four coarse stem individual plant selections from the previous years were planted along with the check cultivar ‘Georgia Green’ and the sectorial plant found in 2003. S₁ seed from both the one‐seeded pods as well as normal two‐seeded pods were planted from the sectorial plant. Relative DNA content was measured by flow cytometry on all plants. Results from the test showed that the coarse stem, thick leaf plants with poor fruit set were autooctoploids and had about twice the DNA content when compared with the normal sectorial branch and the allotetraploid peanut cultigen.     

Pod Yield Comparison of Pure-Line Peanut Selections Simultaneously Developed from Georgia and Zimbabwe Breeding Programs

Crosses were made between two widely grown U.S. peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivars, ‘Florunner’ and Florigiant’, and two genotypes adapted to growing conditions on the plateau of tropical Africa, ‘Makulu Red’ and 486 GKP. F₂ seed populations were equally divided between Georgia and Zimbabwe. Subsequently, pedigree selection was practised simultaneously at both locations in the early segregating generations. The highest yielding pureline selections were then interchanged, and combined yield evaluations were determined over three growing seasons at each location. ‘Florunner’, ‘Florigiant’, and the Georgia pureline selections tested at the Georgia location had significantly higher pod yields than ‘Makulu Red’, 486 GKP, and the Zimbabwe selections. Conversely, the mean yield of the Zimbabwe selections tested m Zimbabwe was significantly higher than that of the Georgia selections. Thus, the breeding environment under which selection is conducted among cross populations strongly influences the yield adaptability of selected peanut genotypes.     

Genetic control of alfalfa seed yield and its components

Seed yield is of little agronomic importance in alfalfa (lucerne) but is critical in the marketing of varieties. In order to develop breeding criteria, the quantitative genetics of seed yield components must be studied. The objective of this study was (1) to evaluate combining ability for seed yield and its components and (2) to estimate the genetic control of these same characters. A 7 × 7 diallel mating design, including reciprocals, among parents from different varieties, and a 7 × 7 factorial design within the ‘Flamande’ population were evaluated. In the diallel design, where the progenies were evaluated over two growing seasons, a high genotype effect was found for seed yield and its components while genotype × year interaction was only significant for seed yield per plant. General combining ability (GCA) effects explained most of the variation due to genotype effect. Specific combining ability (SCA) and reciprocal effects were only significant for seed yield per plant. ‘Europe‐1’, ‘Rival‐5’ and ‘Medalfa‐7’ were the most promising parents, conferring the highest GCA for most of the characters evaluated, especially for seed weight per inflorescence. In the factorial design, seed weight per pod was the only character for which the year effect was not significant. Male and female effects were significant for all characters and these effects were larger than the male × female interaction variance for all the characters. These results were stable over the 2 years for most characters. Additive variance was larger than dominance variance, for all traits. This resulted in high narrow‐sense heritabilities, especially for seed yield per plant, seed weight per inflorescence and number of seeds per pod. Seed weight per inflorescence and number of seeds per inflorescence were highly correlated with seed yield per plant among the full‐sib (FS) families, in both experiments. Increase in seed yield potential in alfalfa could be achieved by the use of seed weight per inflorescence as a selection criterion.     

Development of Strains with Yellow Seedcoat in Indian Mustard (Brassies juncea Czern. & Coss.)

A mutant with yellow seedcoat colour was isolated by Nayar (1968) in the mustard variety‘Rai-5′. This mutant was crossed to the national check cultivar ‘Varuna’ in order to develop improved strains with yellow seedcoat. Four such strains with yellow seeds were evaluated for their seed yield, yield components and percent oil. Two strains TM-9 and TM-17 were more productive than ‘Varuna’ in seed yield. All the yellow seeded strains showed higher oil percentage as compared to ‘Varuna’. The seedcoat in the yellow seeded strains accounts for 14-15% of the seed weight as compared to 18% in the black seeded ‘Varuna’. The higher proportion of the cotyledons and embryo accounts for the increased oil percentage in the yellow seeded types.     

Novel variation for the tocopherol profile in a sunflower created by mutagenesis and recombination

α‐Tocopherol is the main tocopherol in sunflower seeds (>90%). Because it exerts a weak antioxidant action in vitro, its partial replacement by other tocopherols is an important breeding objective in this crop. The objective of this research was to develop novel tocopherol profiles in sunflower through mutagenesis and genetic recombination. Seeds of four ‘Peredovik’ accessions were used for chemical mutagenesis with ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS). Single‐seed screening in the M₂ generation resulted in two M₂ seeds, derived from different M₁ plants, with increased γ‐tocopherol contents of 19.2% and 96.7%, respectively. M₃ progeny from the M₂ seed with the 96.7% content bred true for high c‐tocopherol content, containing more than 90%γ‐tocopherol. M₃ progeny from the M₂ seed with only 19.2%γ‐tocopherol segregated in a range from 0 to 84.6%. Selection for high c‐tocopherol content produced an M_4:5 line, designated IAST‐1, with a stable high concentration of γ‐tocopherol. Crosses between IAST‐1 and T589, with an increased b‐tocopherol content, produced F₂ segregants with trans‐gressive levels of up to 77%β‐tocopherol or up to 68% d‐tocopherol. Both novel tocopherol profiles were confirmed in the F₃ generation.     

半无叶型菜豌豆7个农艺性状的通径分析

对“普通型日本菜豌豆×半无叶型菜豌豆宝菜2号”后代株系的株高（x1）、分枝数（x2）、糖度（x3）、单株荚数（x4）、双荚率（x5）、单株粒数（x6）、鲜百粒重（x7）、鲜荚产量（y）进行了通径分析。结果表明：各个性状对鲜荚产量均有直接正向效应,其相对重要性排序为单株粒数>鲜百粒重>单株荚数>分枝数>株高>糖度>双荚率,其中各个农艺性状对鲜荚产量的直接效应中单株粒数最高,鲜百粒重次之。间接效应中单株荚数通过单株粒数对鲜荚产量的间接作用最大。综合各影响因素,在选育半无叶型菜豌豆时应注意各农艺性状指标的合理搭配。     

Identification of low lectin mutants in soybean

Lectin is one of the known antinutritional factors that deteriorate the soybean protein quality and development of cultivars with low lectin content will help to improve nutritional quality of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill]. Therefore, attempts were made to induce mutations for low lectin content in the cultivar ‘MACS 450’. Soybean cultivar ‘MACS 450’ was subjected to combination treatments of γ‐rays and ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS) with an objective to induce variability for low lectin content. The treatments of different combinations of γ‐rays and EMS were 50 Gy + 0.2% EMS, 50 Gy + 0.4% EMS, 100 Gy + 0.2% EMS and 100 Gy + 0.4% EMS. Of the 3200 treated M₁ seeds sown, 16 400 M₂ plants were raised. In M_2, 72 plants were identified for low lectin content [<40 × 10⁵ haemagglutination unit (HAU)/mg] and were carried up to M₅ generation. In M₅ generation, lectin content in ‘MACS 450’ was 39.23 to 50.0 × 10⁵ HAU/mg, and was compared with the nine true breeding lines identified having low lectin content, ranging from 2.3 × 10⁵ to 27.46 × 10⁵ HAU/mg. Three mutants were found to possess very low lectin content (ranging from 2.0 × 10⁵ to 3.0 × 10⁵ HAU/mg). Thus, the identified mutant lines with low lectin content will greatly improve soybean protein quality, thereby reducing financial burden on the soybean industry for processing soybean meal and also making it suitable for human consumption. All the mutants showed normal seed development, having soluble protein content similar or higher than that in the parent (32.0 mg/ml). This indicates that the change in lectin content does not have any negative impact on the plant growth and protein content.     

Relationships between hard-seededness and seed weight in mungbean (Vigna radiata) assessed by QTL analysis

Weather damage reduces the value of commercial mungbean. but hard‐seededness can reduce the level of damage. However. attempts lo breed large‐ and hard‐seeded mungbean varieties have been unsuccessful. To understand the relationship between seed weight and hard‐seededness. these trails were investigated using a quantitative trail loci (QTL) mapping approach with a recombinant inbred population derived from a cross between a completely soft‐seeded variety and a completely hard‐seeded genotype. The two parental genotypes also had a sixfold difference in seed weight. QTL analyses revealed four loci for hard‐seededness and 11 loci for seed weight. Two of the hard‐seeded ness loci co‐localized with seed weight QTL. When seed weight was used as a covariate in the analysis of hard‐seededness from the field data, two of the four hard‐seeded QTL remained significant with the effect al one of these remaining unchanged. These results explain why retaining hard‐seededness in large seeded mungbean lines has been unsuccessful. The existence of a persistent locus, however. indicated that breeding large and persistently hard‐seeded varieties of mungbean may be possible.     

花生种质资源主要数量性状的遗传多样性和相关性分析

为了有效地利用花生种质资源,给新品种选育提供有力的数据支持,以46份花生种质资源为试验材料,对主茎高、主茎节数、第一侧枝长、第一分枝数、总分枝数、有效枝长等主要数量性状进行了遗传多样性分析和相关性分析。结果表明：花生种质在植物学性状上拥有丰富的遗传多样性,变异系数在11.19%~82.41%之间,多样性指数在0.3095~2.0468之间,平均数为1.6805,但两者的变化趋势相反。从相关分析结果来看,主茎高和主茎节数、侧枝长、单株生产力,第二次分枝数与总分枝数,单株结果数与单株生产力,叶片长与叶片宽,荚果长与荚果宽、种子长、百果重,荚果宽与种子长、种子宽、百果重,种子长与种子宽、百果重,种子宽与百果重,百果重与单株生产力,它们之间呈显著或极显著正相关,测得相关性极显著的一对表型性状中的一个就可以描述另一个性状。     

江苏花生新品种鉴定和产量稳定性分析

为了准确、客观地评价江苏花生新品种鉴定试验参试品种（系）的特征特性,促进江苏花生新品种的推广应用,采用高稳系数法分别对淮南、淮北组的12个参试品种（系）进行丰产性和稳产性分析,并进行品质、抗性及主要农艺性状调查。结果显示：各参试品种均具有中等以上的耐旱性、耐涝性、叶斑病及锈病抗性。具体来说,淮南组的‘宁泰9922’产量较高,且稳产性较好;‘苏花0537’种皮深红色,熟期早,适应性广,粗蛋白含量较高;淮北组的‘连1001’、‘赣榆10-6’、‘东花9号’及‘徐0627’分别较对照‘徐花13号’增产4.7%~7.4%,同时产量稳定性优于对照。因此认为以上品种可以进一步示范和推广应用,同时也表明用高稳系数法评价花生品种（系）的高产稳产性是可行的。     

Gamma Ray-Induced Field Tolerance to Phytophthora Blight in Sesame

Due to the non-availability of sources of resistance in Sri Lanka to Phytopbthora blight in sesame (Sesamum indicum) caused by Phytopbthora nicotianae var. parasitica, a mutation breeding programme was initiated. Seeds of three genotypes were subjected to six doses of gamma rays from 100 Gy to 750 Gy from a ⁶⁰Co source. Seeds of M₂ bulks, sampled by variety and treatment from the first five capsules formed on M₁ plants, were grown in a field with a history of repeated incidence of the disease. The best 21 lines, having the highest survival and seed production, identified in the screening of M₃ and M₄ progeny rows of selected M₂ single plants were then tested in a replicated field trial with the recommended cultivar ‘MI 3’ as a control. The plant survival in selected lines averaged 43.3 percent as against 7.2 percent in the recommended variety. Eight selections recorded significantly higher seed yield than ‘MI 3’ at P < 0.01 and another three at P < 0.05. Gamma ray treatments of 450 Gy and 600 Gy produced more lines tolerant to the disease than the other doses used.     

Identification and inheritance of a partially dominant gene for yellow seed colour in Brassica napus

A yellow‐seeded doubled haploid (DH) line no. 2127‐17, derived from a resynthesized Brassica napus L., was crossed with two black‐seeded Brassica cultivars ‘Quantum’ and ‘Sprint’ of spring type. The inheritance of seed colour was investigated in the F₂, and BC1 populations of the two crosses and also in the DH population derived from the F1 of the cross ‘Quantum’× no. 2127‐17. Seed colour analysis was performed with the colorimeter CR‐300 (Minolta, Japan) together with a visual classification system. The immediate F1 seeds of the reciprocals in the two crosses had the same colour as the self‐pollinated seeds of the respective black‐ and yellow‐seeded female parents, indicating the maternal control of seed colour. The F1 plants produced yellow‐brown seeds that were darker in colour than the seeds of no. 2127‐17, indicating the partial dominance of yellow seed over black. In the segregating BC1 progenies of the two crosses, the frequencies of the black‐ and yellow‐seeded plants fit well with a 1 : 1 ratio. In the cross with ‘Quantum’, the frequencies of yellow‐seeded and black‐seeded plants fit with a 13 : 3 ratio in the F₂ progeny, and with a 3 : 1 ratio in the DH progeny. However, a 49 : 15 segregation ratio was observed for the yellow‐seeded and black‐seeded plants in the F₂ progeny of the cross with ‘Sprint’. It was postulated from these results that seed colour was controlled by three pairs of genes. A dominant yellow‐seeded gene (Y) was identified in no. 2127‐17 that had epistatic effects on the two independent dominant black‐seeded genes (B and C), thereby inhibiting the biosynthesis of seed coat pigments.     

Marker‐assisted backcrossing of a null allele of the α‐subunit of Soybean (Glycine max) β‐conglycinin with a Chinese soybean cultivar (a). The development of improved lines

The development of soybean varieties that lack the β‐conglycinin α‐subunit is an attractive goal because the β‐conglycinin α‐subunit negatively influences the nutrition and gelation of tofu and is a major allergen. To remove this undesirable allergen and simultaneously improve the seed nutritional value and food‐processing quality, marker‐assisted background selection (MABS) was used in backcross breeding to incorporate cgy‐2, a null phenotype version of the gene encoding the β‐conglycinin α‐subunit, from the donor line ‘RiB’ into the genetic background of the Chinese cultivar ‘Dongnong47’ (DN47), a popular high‐oil superfine seed soybean cultivar from Heilongjiang Province, China. In each F₂ (F₂, BC_nF₂) generation of the breeding programme, the offspring that carried the introgressed cgy‐2 were identified by sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and rescreened by MABS using simple sequence repeat markers to accelerate recurrent parent genome recovery. Of the 49 advanced backcrossing breeding lines (ABLs), the three best lines, ABL1, ABL2 and ABL3, were selected from the BC₁, BC₂ and BC₃ populations, respectively. The ABLs were evaluated for desirable agronomic characteristics, yield‐related traits, amino acid composition, free amino acid composition and tofu‐processing quality in the mature seeds. All of the ABLs lacked the α‐subunit but grew and reproduced normally without deleterious effects on physiological processes such as seed development and germination. The free amino acid content of ABL1 was significantly higher than that of ‘DN47’, with arginine (Arg) being particularly enriched. Compared to the recurrent parent ‘DN47’, the total protein content of the three ABLs was higher, the amino acid composition of the seed proteins was markedly modified and the yield and hardness of the tofu that was made from the ABLs were significantly increased. MABS combined with stringent phenotypic selection in a backcross breeding programme is a feasible strategy for the genetic engineering of seed protein components to produce allergenic subunit‐deficient variant alleles.     

抗青枯病兼大果和高出仁率的花生新种质创制

青枯病是影响花生产量和品质的重要土传性细菌病害,百果重和出仁率是与花生产量相关的重要性状。本研究利用远杂9102和徐州68-4杂交构建的RIL群体,在B02染色体上定位到青枯病抗性主效QTL qBWRB02。结合前期对百果重和出仁率QTL的定位结果发现,所涉及的3个性状的主效QTL分布在不同的染色体上。以RIL群体基因型数据和多个环境的青枯病抗性、百果重和出仁率表型数据为基础,利用与主效QTL紧密连锁分子标记筛选出6份聚合抗青枯病、荚果大、出仁率高3种优良性状的新种质,可以作为育种中间材料或亲本培育高产抗病新品种。本研究利用分子标记辅助选择和表型鉴定相结合有效筛选抗病高产种质,为未来花生育种提供了新思路。     

Rust Resistance and its Stability in Lines of Varying Productivity in Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Twenty six lines of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) of varying productivity were tested for yield under four treatments involving fungicidal control of rust and leafspots. Disease severity was measured at two stages of growth, namely 70 days (stage 1) and 90 days after sowing (stage 2). Instead of pod yield, a score (based on an Isd test and grouping over pod yield, shelling %, 100-kernel weight and % residual green leaf area at stage 2) was used to define performance status of the lines. A study of various character combinations revealed the importance of % residual green leaf area at both stages 1 and 2 in predicting the relative yield performance of lines. This result was obtained by comparing the % agreement of the status of lines given by a particular character set with performance status and was confirmed by a multiple regression analysis of pod yield on all other traits. Seven lines and three progenitor parents showed stability of performance with respect to rust resistance. They included lines derived from crosses between the national check, ‘Robut 33—1’, as one parent and either a rust resistant genotype, NC Ac 17090 or an early Russian accession of (Spanish type) ‘Chico’, as the other. It was suggested that breeding programmes should take into account performance status based on yield and disease severity instead of pod yield alone.     

花生品种、栽培技术引种马拉维试验初报

为配合福建企业开发马拉维花生产业需要,2013—2014年引种福建省农业科学院作物研究所选育的6个花生品种（系）,结合马拉维4个品种,采用小区随机区组设计和大面积种植,在马拉维共和国进行品种比较和栽培技术示范。结果表明,雨季,7个参试品种品比结果,荚果产量1150.05~2943.75 kg/hm²,其中,‘抗黄1号’产量最高,为2943.75 kg/hm²,cg-7(CK)产量最低,为1150.05 kg/hm²,引种的6个品种比cg-7(CK)增产54.78%~155.98%。籽仁产量654.45~1845.6 kg/hm²,其中,‘抗黄1号’产量最高,为1845.6 kg/hm²,cg-7(CK)最低,为654.45 kg/hm²,引种的6个品种比cg-7(CK)增产55.67%~182.0%。干季,7个参试品种荚果产量2344.5~3559.5 kg/hm²,其中,‘福花0621’产量最高,为3559.5 kg/hm²,cg-7(CK)最低,为2344.5 kg/hm²,引种的6个品种比cg-7(CK)增产7.81%~51.82%,籽仁产量1428.0~2335.05 kg/hm²,其中,‘福花0621’产量最高,为2335.05 kg/hm²,‘福花9号’最低,为1428.0 kg/hm²,除‘福花9号’籽仁比cg-7(CK)减产6.44%外,其他5个品种比cg-7(CK)增产29.85%~52.99%。干季,栽培技术示范结果,马拉维的4个品种荚果产量1900.5~ 3213.0 kg/hm²,其中,BaKa产量最高,为3213.0 kg/hm²,Chalimbana产量最低,为1900.5 kg/hm²,籽仁产量1016.7~2307.0 kg/hm²,其中,BaKa产量最高,为2307.0 kg/hm², Chalimbana产量最低,为1016.7 kg/hm²。试验结果表明,引种的6个花生品种生活习性等方面均适应于马拉维的生态条件和粗放的栽培习惯。福建省农业科学院作物研究所的花生栽培技术也适合马拉维4个花生品种,并取得高产。初步探明,利用马拉维湖等湖岸周遍特殊的生态环境,只要花期空气湿度≥50%,满足花生开花受精的生理需求,采用人工灌溉措施,可以在干季发展花生生产,建议扩大试验,示范后推广。     

Genetics of Seed Yield and its Components in Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) of Middle-American Origin

Genetic variance, heritability, and expected response from selection arc useful in devising alternative methods and criteria of: selection. The objectives of this study were to estimate these for seed yield and its components from 200 F₂: populations involving 80 cultivars and lines of mostly small-seeded dry bush bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) of habits growth I, II, and III of Middle-American origin. All cultivars and lines were crossed in eight sets of ten parents each in a Design II mating system. The F₂ populations, without parents, were evaluated in the field in a replicates-in-sets design at two locations in Colombia in 1983. Estimates of additive genetic variance were significant for yield, pods/m², seeds/pod, and seed weight. Interaction with environments was also significant. Values for nonadditive genetic variance were not significant for either yield or yield components. The estimates of narrow sense heritability, based on the F₂ population mean and unbiased by genotype x environment interaction, were 0.21 ± 0.13 for yield. 20 ± 0.13 for pods/m², 0.57 ± 0.13 for seeds/pod, and 0.74 ± 0.15 for seed weight. The expected direct response from selection of the top 20 % of F₂ populations for yield per se would result in a 4.30 % increase in yield with a correlated response of 0.21 % in seed weight. In contrast, the expected gain from direct selection for seed weight would result in a 11.76 % increase in seed weight with a, correlated gain of 0.28 % for yield. Direct selection for pods/m² would decrease yield, seeds/pod and seed weight, while direct selection for seeds/pod would reduce pods/m² and seed weight but increase seed yield by 0.37 %. Data on yield from replicated trials in the early segregating generations could be utilized for identification and selection of promising crosses and families or lines with crosses for dry bean yield improvement.     

Inheritance of petal colour and its independent segregation from seed colour in Brassica rapa

The inheritance of petal (flower) colour and seed colour in Brassica rapa was investigated using two creamy‐white flowered, yellow‐seeded yellow sarson (an ecotype from Indian subcontinent) lines, two yellow‐flowered, partially yellow‐seeded Canadian cultivars and one yellow‐flowered, brown‐seeded rapid cycling accession, and their F₁, F₂, F₃ and backcross populations. A joint segregation of these two characters was examined in the F₂ population. Petal colour was found to be under monogenic control, where the yellow petal colour gene is dominant over the creamy‐white petal colour gene. The seed colour was found to be under digenic control and the yellow seed colour (due to a transparent coat) genes of yellow sarson are recessive to the brown/partially yellow seed colour genes of the Canadian B. rapa cvs.‘Candle’ and ‘Tobin’. The genes governing the petal colour and seed colour are inherited independently. A distorted segregation for petal colour was found in the backcross populations of yellow sarson × F₁ crosses, but not in the reciprocal backcrosses, i.e. F₁× yellow sarson. The possible reason is discussed in the light of genetic diversity of the parental genotypes.     

Direct and indirect selection for yield in chickpea

Summary The efficiency of indirect selection for seed yield was compared with direct selection for yield per se in chickpea. A total of 2500 single F₂ plants, derived from 50 crosses with 50 plants from each cross, were divided into five sub-populations (SP1 to SP5) of 500 plants each by including 10 plants from each of the 50 crosses. The five sub-populations were advanced upto F₆ by exercising 10% selection intensity for four successive generations for number of pods per plant in SP1, number of seeds per pod in SP2, seed weight in SP3, seed yield in SP4 and random selection in SP5. The efficiency of direct and indirect selection for yield was evaluated by comparing groups of 50 F₆ lines from each sub-population. SP1 and SP3 F₆ lines showed higher mean grain yield than the other three methods. SP1 and SP3 were found to be almost equally efficient in developing F₆ lines which were significantly superior to the check. This suggests that indirect selection for yield via pod number and seed weight is more efficient than direct selection for yield.     

Identification and validation of an over‐dominant QTL controlling soybean seed weight using populations derived from Glycine max × Glycine soja

Heterosis, or hybrid vigour, has been used to improve seed yield in several important crops for decades and it has potential applications in soybean. The discovery of over‐dominant quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying yield‐related traits, such as seed weight, will facilitate hybrid soybean breeding via marker‐assisted selection. In this study, F₂ and F_2 : 3 populations derived from the crosses of ‘Jidou 12’ (Glycine max) × ‘ZYD2738’ (Glycine soja) and ‘Jidou 9’ (G. max) × ‘ZYD2738’ were used to identify over‐dominant QTL associated with seed weight. A total of seven QTL were identified. Among them, qSWT_13_1, mapped on chromosome 13 and linked with Satt114, showed an over‐dominant effect in two populations for two successive generations. This over‐dominant effect was further examined by six subpopulations derived from ‘Jidou12’ × ‘ZYD2738’. The seed weight for heterozygous individuals was 1.1‐ to 1.6‐fold higher than that of homozygous individuals among the six validation populations examined in different locations and years. Therefore, qSWT_13_1 may be a useful locus to improve the yield of hybrid soybean and to understand the molecular mechanism of heterosis in soybean.