[Analysis of QTL x environment interaction for rice panicle characteristics]

The development of molecular genetic linkage map has accelerated the identification and mapping of genomics regions controlling quantitative trait loci. A recombinant inbred line population derived from Zhenshan 97/Minghui 63 was grown in two years. Mixed linear model approach was used to jointly identify QTLs and QTL x environment interactions for five panicle characteristics. Ten, three, six, eight and seven QTLs were detected for spiketets per panicle, grains per panicle, seed setting, panicle length and panicle setting density, respectively. They collectively explained 29.13%, 19.2%, 29.46%, 26.39% and 35.76% of phenotypic variations for these traits, respectively. For the five traits, QTLs with increasing effects and decreasing effects could be simultaneously identified in high value parent and low value parent. QTLs for correlative traits clustering located in the similar regions. One QTL for panicle length, two QTLs for spikelets per panicle and three QTLs for seed setting performed significant interactions with environment. The contributions from interactions were slightly larger than that from the QTLs involved in the interactions. No QTL x environment interaction was detected for traits with high heritabilities such as grains per panicle and panicle setting density.