Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important cereal crops for ensuring food security worldwide. Identification of major quantitative trait loci (QTL) for spike-related traits is important for improvement of yield potential in wheat breeding. In this study, by using the wheat 55K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array and diversity array technology (DArT), two recombinant inbred line populations derived from crosses avocet/chilero and avocet/huites were used to map QTL for kernel number per spike (KNS), total spikelet number per spike (TSS), fertile spikelet number per spike (FSS), and spike compactness (SC). Forty-two QTLs were identified on chromosomes 2A (4), 2B (3), 3A (2), 3B (7), 5A (11), 6A (4), 6B, and 7A (10), explaining 3.13–21.80% of the phenotypic variances. Twelve QTLs were detected in multi-environments on chromosomes 2A, 3B (2), 5A (4), 6A (3), 6B, and 7A, while four QTL clusters were detected on chromosomes 3A, 3B, 5A, and 7A. Two stable and new QTL clusters, QKns/Tss/Fss/SC.haust-5A and QKns/Tss/Fss.haust-7A, were detected in the physical intervals of 547.49–590.46 Mb and 511.54–516.15 Mb, accounting for 7.53–14.78% and 7.01–20.66% of the phenotypic variances, respectively. High-confidence annotated genes for QKns/Tss/Fss/SC.haust-5A and QKns/Tss/Fss.haust-7A were more highly expressed in spike development. The results provide new QTL and molecular markers for marker-assisted breeding in wheat.

小麦（Triticum aestivum L.）是确保全球粮食安全的最重要的谷类作物之一。穗相关性状主要数量性状基因座（QTL）的鉴定对于提高小麦育种的产量潜力具有重要意义。在本研究中，通过使用小麦55K单核苷酸多态性（SNP）阵列和多样性阵列技术（DArT），使用源自Avocet/chilero和avocet/huites杂交的两个重组自交系群体来定位每个穗粒数的QTL（ KNS）、每穗总小穗数（TSS）、每穗可育小穗数（FSS）和穗紧实度（SC）。在染色体 2A (4)、2B (3)、3A (2)、3B (7)、5A (11)、6A (4)、6B 和 7A (10) 上鉴定出 42 个 QTL，解释了 3.13–21.80表型变异的百分比。在2A、3B(2)、5A(4)、6A(3)、6B和7A染色体上的多环境中检测到12个QTL，而在3A、3B、5A和7A染色体上检测到4个QTL簇。在547.49-590.46 Mb和511.54-516.15 Mb的物理区间内检测到两个稳定的新QTL簇QKns/Tss/Fss/SC.haust-5A和QKns/Tss/Fss.haust-7A ，占7.53-分别为表型变异的 14.78% 和 7.01-20.66%。QKns/Tss/Fss/SC.haust-5A和QKns/Tss/Fss.haust-7A 的高置信度注释基因在穗发育中表达更高。该结果为小麦标记辅助育种提供了新的QTL和分子标记。