Kernel weight is a vital trait for selecting high-yielding wheat in breeding programs. We evaluated the thousand-kernel weight (TKW), test weight (TW), grain length (GL), grain width (GW), grain thickness (GT), and grain roundness (GR) of 41 Korean winter wheat cultivars over a period of 4 years. Correlation analyses revealed that TKW was positively correlated with GL (r=0.76***), GW (r=0.85***), and GT (r=0.84***), whereas TW was negatively correlated with GL (r=-0.38*) and GT (r=-0.31*). Allelic variation was analyzed for 13 kernel weight-related genes/loci (TaCwi-A1, TaCWI-4A, TaCWI-5D, TaGW2-6A, TaTGW6-A1, TaTGW-7A, TaGS1a, TaSus1-7A, TaSus1-7B, TaSus2-2B, TaCKX6-D1, TaCKX6a02-D1, and TaSnRk2.3). Significant associations between the allelic variation and kernel traits were identified in TaCWI-4A (TW, GL, and GR), TaCWI-5D (TKW), TaGW2-6A (TKW, GL, GW, and GT), TaSus2-2B (TKW, GL, GW, and GT), and TaGS1a (TW). In contrast, we detected no significant association between the allelic variation of TaCwi-A1, TaTGW6-A1, TaSus1-7A, and TaSus1-7B and variations in kernel traits. Also, TaTGW-7A, TaCKX6-D1, TaCKX6a02-D1, and TaSnRK2.3 were found to be monomorphic. The four loci TaCWI-4A, TaCWI-5D, TaGW2-6A, and TaSus2-2B showed significant phenotypic differences, a totalof 10 different haplotypes (AC1-AC10) were observed at four loci among the Korean wheat cultivars. Cultivars with the AC1 haplotype exhibited significantly higher TKW than those with the AC8 haplotype, which comprises alleles for high TKW at all four loci, indicating that additional loci controlling kernel weight might be present in the high TKW cultivars.

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