Abstract：The plant-type of maize(Zea mays L.) is characterized by the leaf angle and leaf spacing. And the yield is associated with the distribution of light within canopy and utilization of solar energy within groups, which are affected by the plant-types of maize. To analyse the genetic mechanism of leaf angle and leaf space above ear position in maize, a genetic linkage map composing of 212 simple sequence repeat markers(SSR) was constructed based on the F2 population derived from the cross between compact inbred line CY5 and horizontal-leaf type inbred line YL106. The map covered 1 153.39 cM with an average interval of 5.44 cM. By using the inclusive composite interval mapping method, QTLs for leaf angle and leaf space above ear position of maize were identified based on a field mapping population consisting of 144 F2∶3 families in three environments(XM, short for Xiema test site; BB, short for Beibei test site; HC, short for Hechuan test site). Twenty-two QTLs were detected in single-environment analysis, ten for leaf angle and twelve for leaf space, including nine in XM, eight in BB and five in HC, respectively. Totally eleven QTLs were detected in joint-environment analysis, which were distributed on chromosomes 1, 3, 5 and 7. Five QTLs for leaf angle were detected, which were distributed on chromosomes 1, 3 and 5. Six QTLs for leaf space were detected, which were distributed on chromosomes 1 and 7. Three consistent QTLs including qSecLA1a, qThiLA1a and qThiLS7 were all detected in single-environment and joint-environment analysis. qSecLA1a between bnlg1803 and bnlg1007 explained 26.99% and 18.51% of the phenotypic variation, qThiLA1a between bnlg1803 and bnlg1007 explained 24.14% and 22.00% of the phenotypic variation, qThiLS7 between bnlg1305 and umc1787 explained 13.77% and 9.96% of the phenotypic variation, in single-environment analysis; while in joint-environment analysis explained 29.10%、31.86% and 11.20% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. Therefore it can be concluded that the three loci qSecLA1a, qThiLA1a and qThiLS7 stably expressed in different environments. The results of this study may provide references for genetic modification of leaf angle and leaf space and molecular marker-assisted selection.
