ZiHui Liu, the first author of Theoretical and Applied Genetics

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On March 10, 2023, Zihui Liu as the first author published a paper entitled "The selection and application of peduncle length QTL QPL_6D in modern wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) breeding " in Theoretical and Applied Genetics.
Peduncle length (PL), as the key component of wheat plant height (PH), plays critical role in determining wheat lodging resistance and wheat pathogen resistance; then, its breeding selection and genetic basis remain largely unclear. Here the PH and PL were investigated in 406 wheat accessions in eight environments.
In this study, a PL preferentially QTL QPL_6D.1 was identified in six environments by GWAS, which explained 13.6–24.2% of wheat PL variations in natural population. The allele QPL_6D.1b displayed a significantly additive effect with Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b in controlling PH and PL and could freely combined with Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b in current wheat cultivars. Haplotypic analysis demonstrates the QPL_6D.1b has been selected by Chinese modern wheat cultivar and confers shorter PL and more kernels per spike, highlighting its potentials in wheat breeding.