QTL Mapping of Boll Weight Trait Based on Recombinant Inbred Lines in Gossypium hirsutum L.

[Objective] The aim of this study was to explore the quantitative trait locus (QTL) related to the boll weight. [Method] A single seed descended population of 137 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) was developed from the cross of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) CCRI 36 and G2005, an introgression inbred line introgressed from G. barbadense. Using restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq), a genetic linkage map composed of 6 434 makers, including 6 295 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and 139 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, was developed from the RILs population. [Result] This map spanned 4 071.98 cM with an average distance of 0.63 cM between adjacent markers. QTL mapping was performed by using boll weight data of five environments through WinQTLCart 2.5 software. Thirty-two QTL, with 4.46%-15.84% explained phenotypic variation related boll weight, were detected and found distributing on 15 chromosomes. qBW-A4-1, qBW-A4-2, qBW-A5-2, qBW-D9-1, and qBW-D9-2 were detected in two environments, which explained 5.07%-15.84% of the phenotypic variation. [Conclusion] Major QTLs detected in this study will provide an important reference for analysis of the genetic mechanism of boll weight.