**3. Positional cloning of the responsible genes for the** *E1, E2* **and** *E3* **loci**

A population of 156 RILs (F8:10) derived from a cross between Misuzudaizu and Moshidou Gong 503 was used for QTL analysis of flowering. Three QTLs for flowering time, *FT1*, *FT2* and *FT3* were identified at LG C2 (Chr. 6), LG O (Chr. 10) and LG L (Chr. 19), respectively (Fig. 3). The *FT1*, *FT2* and *FT3* were considered to correspond to *E1*, *E2*, *E3*, respectively, based on their map positions (Yamanaka et al., 2001; Watanabe et al., 2004). The lateflowering alleles *FT1*, *FT2* and *FT3* are partially dominant over the early-flowering alleles, *ft1*, *ft2* and *ft3*, respectively. Misuzudaizu harbored the late-flowering allele of the *FT1* and *FT3* loci, whereas Moshidou Gong 503 carried the late-flowering alleles of the *FT2* locus.
