Dissection of genetic architecture for tiller and yield ‐ related traits in sugarcane ( <i>Saccharum spontaneum</i> L.) by genome ‐ wide association study

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is an important crop for food and energy security. Identifying SNPs and genes associated with sugarcane yield and related traits is crucial for developing high - yielding sugarcane cultivars through molecular breeding. Here, we measured nine phenotypic traits across 160 sugarcane genotypes and employed multiple statistical models (namely MLM, CMLM, MLMM, FarmCPU and SUPER) in GWAS to identify stable and pleiotropic loci. A total of 200 SNPs corresponding to 137 QTLs were detected to be significantly associated with nine traits using multiple statistical models, among which 18 QTLs were consistently identified by two or more models. Notably, the SNP S9A_47793177 on chromosome 9A showed the strongest association with phenotypic variation in aboveground biomass, with a phenotypic explanation rate of 70.54%. Additionally, several QTLs significantly associated with tillering - related traits were identified, suggesting that these QTLs may play crucial roles in the regulation of tillering. The QTLs and SNPs identified in this study provide a significant foundation for molecular marker - assisted breeding in sugarcane. This advancement can significantly enhance the efficiency of genetic improvement for sugarcane yield and tillering - related traits.