Quantitative Trait Loci Underlying Seed Sucrose, Raffinose and Stachyose Contents in the MD 96-5722 By Spencer Recombinant Inbred Line Population of Soybean

Sucrose, Raffinose, and Stachyose are important soluble sugars abundant in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seeds. Raffinose and Stachyose are undesirable in the diets of monogastric animals so reducing their biosynthesis is considered a key quality trait in the soy food and feed industries. The objective of this study was to identify genomic regions containing quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling Sucrose, Raffinose, and Stachyose in a set of 92 F_5:7 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between the lines ‘MD 96-5722’ and ‘Spencer’ using 5,376 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers from the Illumina Infinium SoySNP6K BeadChip array. The SNP-based genetic map was composed of 16 linkage groups (LG) on which fourteen significant QTL were identified and mapped to eight different LGs and chromosomes (Chr). Three QTL for seed Sucrose content were identified on LGs N (Chr3), K (Chr9) and E (Chr15). Seven QTL were identified for Raffinose content on LGs D1a (Chr1), N (Chr3), C2 (Chr6), K (Chr9), B2 (Chr14) and J (Chr16). Four QTL for Stachyose content were identified on LG D1a (Chr1), C2 (Chr6), H (Chr12), and B2 (Chr14). Selection for beneficial alleles of these QTL could facilitate breeding strategies to develop soybean lines with higher concentrations of Sucrose and lower levels of Raffinose and Stachyose.