QTL mapping of seedling traits in cucumber using recombinant inbred lines

Seedling traits are important for development, flower bud differentiation, fruit production and fruit quality of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). In this study, 160 recombinant inbred lines (RILs), derived from crossing wild cucumber inbred line PI 183967 (C. sativus var. hardwickii) with ‘931’ northern China cultivated cucumber inbred line 931, were employed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) of cotyledon length (Cl), cotyledon width (Cw), hypocotyl length (Hl), first true leaf length (Fll), first true leaf width (Flw), aboveground fresh biomass (Afb) and aboveground dry biomass (Adb) at seedling stage. A genetic map including 307 SSR markers was developed which spanned 993.3 cM, with an average genetic distance of 3.23 cM between adjacent markers. 36 QTLs associated with the seven traits were detected on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 in four environments (spring and autumn of 2012 and 2013), explaining 6.1 to 23.6% of the observed phenotypic variations. Among the 36 QTLs, 21 were responsible for more than 10% of observed phenotypic variations. We obtained 2, 2, 1 and 3 QTL loci for the traits of Fll, Flw, Afw and Adw, respectively. In addition, genes in the genetic region spanned by SSR15321‐SSR07711 on chr. 5 may contribute to Flw, Afw and Adw.