A quantitative trait locus (QTL) that affects heading date (HD) and the number of spikelets per panicle (SPP) was previously identified in a small region on chromosome 7 in rice (Oryza sativa L.). In order to further characterize the QTL region, near isogenic lines (NILs) were quickly obtained by self-crossing recombinant inbred line 189, which is heterozygous in the vicinity of the target region. The pleiotropic effects of QTL Ghd7.1 on plant height (PH), SPP, and HD, were validated using an NIL-F2 population. Ghd7.1 explained 50.2%, 45.3%, and 76.9%of phenotypic variation in PH, SPP, and HD, respectively. Ghd7.1 was precisely mapped to a 357-kb region on the basis of analysis of the progeny of the NIL-F2 population. Day-length treatment confirmed that Ghd7.1 is sensitive to photoperiod, with long days delaying heading up to 12.5 d. Identification of panicle initiation and development for the pair of NILs showed that Ghd7.1 elongated the photoperiod-sensitive phase more than 10 d, but did not change the basic vegetative phase and the reproductive growth phase. These findings indicated that Ghd7.1 regulates SPP by controlling the rate of panicle differentiation rather than the duration of panicle development.