Genotype imputation improves SNP density and genetic analysis accuracy in slash pine.

≈0.984). Distance-stratified analyses further showed higher concordance for GRMs constructed from imputed loci within 500 kb of array markers, with concordance decreasing progressively in more distant windows, suggesting limited incremental benefit from long-range imputed loci. Collectively, the reference panel-driven imputation, validation, and integration framework established here provides a high-density genotypic resource for genome-wide association studies and genomic selection in slash pine and other conifer species.