Identification of QTL for fasciated ear related traits in maize

Abstract Ear shape of maize ( Zea mays L.) is related to ear perimeter, kernel row number, and then kernel yield. To study the inheritance of fasciated ear and the relationship between ear flatness and other ear traits is of great importance in improving ear shape and then increasing yield of maize. In this study, the fasciated ear inbred line Yi16 and normal ear inbred line B73 were used to construct F 2 and F 2:3 populations to study the correlations between ear flatness and other ear traits, and identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) of fasciated ear‐related traits in two environments. The results showed that ear flatness was positively correlated with cob flatness, ear perimeter, cob perimeter, and kernel row number and negatively correlated with ear length. The broad‐sense heritabilities of ear flatness and cob flatness were 59.01 and 67.38%, respectively. A total of 50 QTL were detected. Three QTL ( qCF1 , qCF4 , and qKRN4a ) were detected in all generations and environments, and five QTL ( qEF4 , qCF7 , qCP2 , qCP4 , and qHKW7 ) were detected in two generations or two environments. The consistent QTL qEF4, qCF4 , and qKRN4a were located in the common region of umc1940–umc1631 (bins 4.09) within a distance of 2.4 cM, explaining >10% of phenotypic variation except qKRN4a in F 2 . The five pairs of QTL ( qEF3‐HC × qEF4‐HC , qCF1‐BB × qCF4‐BB , qCF1‐BB × qCF7‐BB , qKRN1a‐BB × q KRN4a‐BB , and qHKW3‐HC × qHKW7‐HC ) were detected to have epistatic effects, contributing 7.31–13.95% of phenotypic variance.