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Agronomy
Volume 15
Issue 12
10.3390/agronomy15122905
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Identification of Major QTLs and Candidate Genes Determining Stem Strength in Soybean

by
Xinyue Wang
1,†,
Liu Liu
2,†,
Yuting Cheng
2,†,
Xiaoyang Ding
3,
Jiaxin Yu
2,
Peiyuan Li
1,4,
Hesong Gu
1,
Wenbo Xu
1,
Wenwen Jiang
1,
Chunming Xu
2,* and
Na Zhao
1,*
1
Department of Agronomy, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
2
Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
3
Key Laboratory of Hybrid Soybean Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Soybean Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China
4
Baicheng Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Baicheng 137099, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this study.
Agronomy 2025, 15(12), 2905; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15122905
Submission received: 13 November 2025 / Revised: 11 December 2025 / Accepted: 13 December 2025 / Published: 17 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation of Germplasm Resources, Molecular Breeding, and Utilization in Soybean)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Stem strength is a key factor influencing lodging resistance in soybeans and other crops. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with stem strength in soybean, we assessed the peak forces required to break a 20 cm stem base segment for each individual within a collection of 2138 plants from eight F2 and F3 segregating populations in 2023 and 2024. These populations were derived from four crosses between soybean varieties with contrasting stem strength. Most populations exhibited an approximately normal distribution of stem strength. Using BSA-seq, we identified 17 QTLs associated with stem strength from four populations. Among these, one QTL overlapped with a previously reported locus, while the remaining 16 represented novel loci. Notably, nine loci overlapped with known lodging QTLs, suggesting a genetic relationship between stem strength and lodging. Three QTLs were repeatedly detected in multiple populations, indicating their stability. Further linkage mapping with molecular markers confirmed these three stable QTLs. Among them, qSS10 and qSS19-2 were identified as major QTLs, refined to 1.06 Mb and 1.54 Mb intervals, with phenotypic variation explained (PVE) 23.31–25.15% and 14.21–19.93%, respectively. Within these stable QTL regions, we identified 13 candidate genes and analyzed their sequence variation and expression profiles. Collectively, our findings provide a valuable foundation for future research on stem strength in soybeans and reveal novel genetic loci and candidate genes that may be utilized for the genetic improvement of soybean lodging resistance and yield stability.
Keywords: soybean; stem strength; QTL; BSA-seq soybean; stem strength; QTL; BSA-seq

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Wang, X.; Liu, L.; Cheng, Y.; Ding, X.; Yu, J.; Li, P.; Gu, H.; Xu, W.; Jiang, W.; Xu, C.; et al. Identification of Major QTLs and Candidate Genes Determining Stem Strength in Soybean. Agronomy 2025, 15, 2905. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15122905

AMA Style

Wang X, Liu L, Cheng Y, Ding X, Yu J, Li P, Gu H, Xu W, Jiang W, Xu C, et al. Identification of Major QTLs and Candidate Genes Determining Stem Strength in Soybean. Agronomy. 2025; 15(12):2905. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15122905

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wang, Xinyue, Liu Liu, Yuting Cheng, Xiaoyang Ding, Jiaxin Yu, Peiyuan Li, Hesong Gu, Wenbo Xu, Wenwen Jiang, Chunming Xu, and et al. 2025. "Identification of Major QTLs and Candidate Genes Determining Stem Strength in Soybean" Agronomy 15, no. 12: 2905. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15122905

APA Style

Wang, X., Liu, L., Cheng, Y., Ding, X., Yu, J., Li, P., Gu, H., Xu, W., Jiang, W., Xu, C., & Zhao, N. (2025). Identification of Major QTLs and Candidate Genes Determining Stem Strength in Soybean. Agronomy, 15(12), 2905. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15122905

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