QTL mapping for wheat ferulic acid concentration using 50 K SNP chip in a recombinant inbred line population of Zhongmai 578/Jimai 22

Background and Objectives:Ferulic acid is a prominent bioactivecompound found in wheat grains, known for its beneficial health effects,prompting significant interest from breeders and producers. The aim of thisstudy was to identify new quantitative trait loci (QTL) to aid in the develop-ment of wheat varieties with increased ferulic acid concentration (FAC). Findings:In this study, a recombinant inbred line population, resulting from across between Zhongmai 578 and Jimai 22, was evaluated in five different en-vironments. Genotyping was performed using the wheat 50 K single-nucleotidepolymorphism (SNP) array. Three stable QTL, namedQFAC.caas-2D,QFAC.caas-3B,andQFAC.caas-4D, were identified. These QTL explained 4.24%-7.09%,3.7%-4.57%, and 3.20%-5.06% of the phenotypic variances, respectively. Further-more, three SNPs closely associated with above QTL were successfully convertedinto kompetitive allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (KASP) markers. Conclusions:FAC is a complex trait governed by multiple minor-effect QTL.The successful development of KASP markers opens up avenues for marker-assisted selection in breeding programs. Significance and Novelty:This study establishes a genetic foundation forunderstanding the genetic basis of FAC in wheat. The identified QTL anddeveloped KASP markers offer valuable insights for quality breeding initiativesand the production of functional wheat-based foods.