High oleic acid peanut (HOAP) is extensively embraced in China because of its high nutritional value and enhanced oxidative stability. However, its dissemination has been severely constrained in high altitude and high latitude areas due to chilling stress during sowing, resulting in significant yield loss in these regions. Despite the lack of understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying low temperature germination (LTG) in HOAP, discovering the quantitative trait loci (QTL) that confer this trait will undoubtedly benefit breeding efforts. In the present study, we identified putative genomic regions and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that govern LTG tolerance of HOAP in an F₂ population derived from the cross of chilling-tolerant YH65 and chilling-sensitive FL14 using bulk segregant analysis (BSA). Analysis of ΔSNP-index and Euclidean distance (ED) value association pinpointed the overlapped region to a 2.29 Mb interval on chromosome A05. The candidate interval showed that 122 genes were significantly related to response to abiotic stress and plant–pathogen interaction. Furthermore, an SNP site associated with LTG tolerance was discovered. The SNP site was employed as a Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) marker and validated in a universal peanut panel. These findings may provide valuable insight into the molecular mechanism underpinning LTG tolerance and facilitate marker-assisted selective breeding in HOAP.

As one of the major oil crops worldwide, peanuts play a crucial role in ensuring the stability of global oil production and quality. Seed quality, a direct determinant of yield, is influenced by various factors, among which storage temperature and moisture content are critical. However, the mechanisms by which storage conditions affect peanut seedling development and final yield remain unclear. To address this, we conducted field plot experiments using different storage temperature regimes (0 °C, −10 °C, −20 °C, −40 °C) and seed moisture contents (5%, 10%, 15%) to evaluate their effects on seed quality, subsequent growth, and yield. The results showed that, at the same storage temperature, seed vigor declined with increasing seed moisture content. Conversely, at the same seed moisture content, seed vigor decreased with lower storage temperatures. Overall, the highest germination rate (99.21%) and emergence rate (96.79%) were observed under the 0 °C/5% treatment. Nutrient composition analysis revealed that, at a constant storage temperature, protein content was negatively correlated with seed moisture content, whereas linoleic acid content was positively correlated. After sowing, antioxidant enzyme activities in leaves were monitored throughout seedling development. Enzyme activities initially increased and then declined as plants matured. At the early seedling stage, the highest activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) were detected under the 0 °C/5% treatment. In contrast, malondialdehyde (MDA) content increased significantly with decreasing storage temperature and increasing seed moisture content. From a yield perspective, these factors collectively influenced yield components under different treatments, with the maximum yield (6187.5 kg/ha) obtained under the 0 °C/5% treatment. In summary, the increase in nutrient content and peroxidase activity during the seedling stage of peanut seeds treated with 0 °C/15% water content improved seed quality and vitality, making seed preservation more suitable under these conditions. On the other hand, we conducted transcriptome sequencing on peanut varieties with different cold tolerance levels and identified a cold tolerance gene AhCOLD1, which was preliminarily validated to be involved in cold stress response. In summary, we have determined the optimal storage method for local peanut seeds and identified a cold resistant gene, providing effective technical support for stabilizing local peanut production.