Genome-wide meta-analysis on yield and yield-related QTLs in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Meta-QTL (MQTL) analysis improves genetic dissection and detection of consistent chromosomal regions associated with economically important quantitative traits such as yield and yield-related traits through integrating QTL data from independent experiments. In order to identify the most reliable and stable QTLs for grain yield, thousand grain weight, plant height, heading date, harvest index, and number of ears per m 2 in barley under normal conditions, we carried out a MQTL analysis on 639 QTLs reported in the last 15 years representing 26 independent mapping populations. Consequently, all the QTLs were condensed to 31 MQTLs distributed on all seven barley chromosomes with a median number of nine initial QTLs and reduced confidence interval mainly to