Abstract: A genetic linkage map was constructed using a F1 population comprising 90 seedlings from a crossing between a sweet and yellow with red flush skin color cherry（Prunus avium L.）cultivar ‘Rainier’crossed with a red skin selection（Prunus avium L.）‘8-100’. This map included 50 genetic markers，including 30 RAPD markers，15 ISSR makers and 5 pairs SSR makers mapped in the eight linkage groups. The map covered 634.67 cM with an average gentic distance of 12.69 cM. QTL analysis was performed using the software of‘QTL Network’（version 2.0）based on the mixed 1inear model. Two additive QTLs and one pair of epistatic effects were detected，which were located on chromosomes chr1 and chr7. The additive QTL effects on Chr1 were detected for the fruit color which explained 32.28% and on Chr7 which explained 47.52% of the total phenotypic variation. The epistatic effects between Chr1 and Chr7 explained 37.87% of the total phenotypic variation. We did not find any interaction betweenenvironment and additive effect or epistatic effect. The results showed that both additive and epistatic effect played an important role on phenotypic variation of cherry fruit color and inheritance of cherry red fruit color was mainly controlled by the red fruit color gene.

Key words: sweet cherry, linkage map, fruit color, QTL, additive effect, epistatic effect