Thursday, November 8, 2007 - 10:00 AM
334-6

Validation of QTL for Calcium Content in Soybean Seeds.

Bo Zhang, Pengyin Chen, Moldir Orazaly, Mioko Tamura, Anfu Hou, and Ainong Shi. CSES, University of Arkansas, 115 Plant Science, Fayetteville, AR 72701

Seed hardness and calcium content are important quality attributes of specialty soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] for soyfoods. Soybean seeds with undesirable texture cause technical complications in the process of soyfood production. Calcium content in soybean seed is positively correlated with water absorption, and high calcium content appears to be the main cause of stone seeds. Two putative QTL associated with seed hardness were identified near Satt229 on LG L and Satt531 on LG D1a, and two putative QTL associated with calcium content were identified near Satt677 on LG A2 and Satt228 on LG M in our previous study. The objective of this study was to validate these QTL associated with seed hardness and calcium content in various genetic backgrounds. A total of 164 F2:6 natto breeding lines from six different populations derived from low x high calcium crosses and 97 F2:6 natto breeding lines from three different populations derived from soft x hard crosses were grown in Fayetteville or Mariana, AR in 2006. Phenotyping results showed calcium and hardness data of the pooled genotypes and of each population were normally distributed. Genotyping data indicated that satt228 is linked to Ca QTL with a p value of 0.004 and 0.007 among the pooled genotypes and in one population derived from MFS591 x V96-4486, respectively. Satt229 is not linked to hardness QTL in any of the genetic backgrounds evaluated.