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Abstract
Sorghum is an important C4 crop produced for the production of grain, fodder, sugar, and bioenergy. The objective of this research is to determine the relationship between genes and leaf morphology traits including leaf length, leaf width, leaf angle, and midrib diameter in sorghum populations. To link traits of sorghum leaves to DNA marker data, QTL mapping was performed in two recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations using the composite interval mapping (CIM) method, complemented by genome-wide association (GWAS) analysis in a diversity panel. A total of 101 QTLs were identified in the ISRIL population, and 20 in the PQRIL population. QTL mapping revealed 12 colocalized intervals on chromosome 7 for plant height, dry biomass, dry stalk weight, leaf area, leaf angle, and leaf width from two environments. Overall, LOD score peaks ranging from 4.5 to 31.0 show that the genomic loci remained stable and unaffected by the environments. A substantial stable QTL for PH (qPHT6.1) with a LOD score of 21.0 in our study, accounting for 21.47% of the phenotypic variation, was supported by previously published data. GWAS analysis identified SNP markers associated with six out of eight traits. While QTL mapping minimizes false positive associations, GWAS improves precision in determining candidate QTL regions. Well-supported QTLs will be a useful resource for further sorghum breeding via marker-assisted selection.