Identification of a major quantitative trait locus underlying salt tolerance in 'Jidou 12' soybean cultivar.

Background: Identification of the quantitative trait locus (QTL) underlying salt tolerance is a prerequisite for marker-assisted selection in the salt-tolerant breeding process.

Methods: In this study, the recombinant inbred lines derived from the salt-tolerant elite soybean cultivar 'Jidou 12' and the salt-sensitive elite cultivar 'Ji NF 58' were used to identify the QTL associated with salt tolerance, using both salt tolerance rating (STR) and leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD) as indicators.

Results: A major salt-tolerant QTL, which was flanked by SSR markers GMABAB and Barcsoyssr_03_1421 on chromosome 3, was identified based on single-marker regression, single trait composite interval mapping, and multiple interval mapping analysis.