Seedling emergence,coleoptile length,and plant height relationships in crosses of dwarf and standard-height wheats

Summary Seedling emergence was closely correlated with coleoptile length and plant height among parents, F₂ and F₃, populations of crosses involving dwarf wheats Olesen Dwarf (CI 14497), Norin 10 derivative D6301, Tom Thumb derivative D6899, and the standard-height varieties Ramona 50 and Nainari 60. Genetic mechanisms that governed plant height also influenced coleoptile length, but the relative effects of genes showing dominant or epistatic effects appeared to be different. With respect to the two parents involved in each of 15 crosses, mean F₂ coleoptile lengths were consistently closer to the low parent value than were corresponding mean F₂ plant heights. A slight curvilinear relationship was also found between coleoptile length and plant height of F₃ lines. The results suggest that selection of semidwarf wheats with long coleoptiles and improved emergence properties from crosses involving the dwarf wheats of this study would be unlikely.     

In vitro pollen germination and tube growth of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) and its relation with plant growth

Summary In vitro pollen germination at 10°C, 14°C and 22°C of four groups of two pure line tomato varieties was compared with their plant growth at 19°C D/10°C N under controlled environmental conditions. Generally, pollen germination was slow at 10°C but after 6 h the percentage of germination was similar to that at 22°C. Maximum germination was obtained at 14°C already after 4 h. The longest pollen tubes occurred at 22°C. The two varieties within each group differed significantly from each other for percentage of pollen germination. For one group, this difference was greater at 10°C than at 22°C. The varieties in two groups also differed significantly for pollen tube growth. These differences in pollen tube growth rate were greater at 22°C than at 10°C. There was no clear relationship between pollen germination, pollen tube growth and plant growth in any of the four pairs of varieties. The results are discussed with regard to the possibility of pollen selection at low temperature in order to improve the efficiency of breeding for growth at low temperature.     

The association of culm anatomy with lodging susceptibility in modern spring wheat genotypes

Selection for lodging resistant cultivars in cereal breeding programs is difficult due to the challenge of screening for this trait under natural field conditions. The identification of easily measurable culm traits related to lodging resistance would simplify the selection process. The present study was conducted to determine if differences in culm anatomy exist among modern wheat genotypes differing in lodging susceptibility, and to determine the association between culm characters and lodging. From a 2-year field study conducted in Edmonton, Alberta, 13 spring wheat cultivars were chosen based on predetermined susceptibility to artificially induced lodging. Morphological and anatomical culm measurements were made visually and with an environmental scanning electron microscope. Genotypes differed (P < 0.05) for plant height, number of internodes per culm, basal internode length and diameter, culm wall thickness and the number of vascular bundles, but not for adventitious root frequency, lumen diameter or sclerenchyma ring thickness. Mean genotype field scores for artificially induced lodging were correlated (P < 0.05) with plant height (r= 0.51) and the length of the fourth basal internode (r= 0.51). Short, wide basal internodes and thick culm walls were characteristic of three lodging tolerant genotypes: Kohika, Sapphire and Olso. Nevertheless, despite such apparent genotype specific association between culm anatomy and field lodging, general applicable associations were not observed for most traits. The most practical and easily selectable trait for lodging resistance within a wheat breeding program remains plant height. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Distribution of microsatellite alleles linked to Rht8 dwarfing gene in wheat

A wheat microsatellite locus, Xgwm 261, whose 192-bp allele closelylinked to the dwarfing gene Rht8, on chromosome 2D, was used toscreen 71 wheat cultivars from 13 countries to assess the variation at thislocus. Screening of this wheat collection showed that a 165-bp allele anda 174-bp allele were the most frequent. None of the New Zealand cultivarspossessed a 192-bp allele specific to Rht8, while only one cultivarfrom the US produced this important allele. The frequency of a 192-bpallele among these wheat cultivars was 5.63%. The highest allelefrequency was observed for a 174-bp fragment (52.11%) followed by a165-bp fragment (26.76%). The only durum wheat `Cham 1', did notshow any amplification due to the absence of D genome. Four new novelalleles, 180-bp, 198-bp, 200-bp and 204-bp present in the US and NewZealand wheat cultivars are reported.     

Mapping QTL involved in adult plant resistance to powdery mildew in the winter wheat line RE714 in two susceptible genetic backgrounds

The objective was to study the genetic basis of adult plant resistance to powdery mildew of the winter wheat line RE714 by quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis and to investigate the stability of the QTL detected in two different genetic backgrounds. Two DH populations from the crosses between RE714 and the susceptible parents ‘Festin’ and ‘Hardi’ were used. Reaction of the DH lines to powdery mildew was assessed in different environments in Belgium under natural disease infection. Considering both populations and according to the environment tested, one to seven QTL were detected. Among them, residual effects of the race‐specific resistance genes Pm4b and MIRE were found. Two major QTL were very stable (on chromosome 5D and at the MIRE locus), since they were detected in both populations and over all environments tested. The QTL detected varied according to the susceptible parent used, and a residual effect at the Pm4b gene was not observed with the genetic background of ‘Hardi’.     

Mature plant and tissue resistance in the groundnut-peanut bud necrosis virus system

Summary Leaves and plants of different ages of a susceptible and two resistant groundnut genotypes were mechanically inoculated with peanut bud necrosis virus, and the percentage of plants with systemic symptoms (incidence) and the incubation period were determined. The incidence decreased sharply in all three genotypes with the age of the inoculated leaves and plants. The incubation period increased with the age of leaves and plants. Apparently, only young tissue of young plants is susceptible, while mature tissue and plants are highly resistant. This mature tissue and plant resistance occurs irrespective of the susceptibility level of the genotype to peanut bud necrosis virus, however, it develops earlier in the resistant than in the susceptible genotypes.Abbreviations IP₅₀ incubation period - PBNV peanut bud necrosis virus - TSWV tomato spotted wilt virus     

Pyramiding genes for resistance to bean common mosaic virus

Summary Gene pyramiding in Phaseolus vulgaris is being utilized to develop more effective resistance to the temperature-insensitive-necrosis-inducing (TINI) strains of Bean Common Mosaic Virus (BCMV) present in the USA. Our data indicate that contrary to previous work, the bc-3 gene is effective against these strains in the absence of the strain unspecific bc-u gene in genotypes possessing the I gene. The epistatic bc-3 gene interferes with traditional efforts to pyramid the other recessive resistance genes by masking their activity. Indirect selection based on markers linked to the other recessive resistance genes would likewise be ineffective without the ability to also select for the bc-u gene which is required for expression of the bc-2 ² gene in germplasm carrying the I gene. Because the most resistant genotype (I, bc-u, bc-I ², bc-2², bc-3) can only be introduced into a wide range of germplasm through the use of molecular markers linked to the different resistance genes, the search for a marker linked to the strain unspecific bc-u gene should also be given priority.     

RAPD analysis of interspecific relationships in presumably apomictic Cotoneaster species

A few of the approximately 300 Cotoneaster species described are diploid but the majority appear to be polyploid. The occurrence of apomixis inpolyploid Cotoneaster species has been reported but never proven with genetic markers. We have used 76 polymorphic RAPD markers to investigate the breeding system and phenetic grouping of some critical taxa, including a total of 19 plant accessions representing 13 mostly European species in the series Cotoneaster. Three to four individual plants, raised from seed from the same original plant, were analyzed for each of three accessions to investigate the possible occurrence of apomictic seed set. Absolutely congruent RAPD profiles were encountered among seedlings from one accession, whereas we found one or two marker differences among seedlings from the other two accessions. Genetic similarities among the different accessions were analyzed with a UPGMA-derived dendrogram. The most deviant taxon was the Chinese C. albokermesinus. A group withC. soczavianus and C. tomentosus was rather isolated from the remainder, as was also C. kullensis. Among the remaining taxa, two well supported clusters were found: (1) C. antoninae and C. uralensis, and (2) C. integerrimus and C. raboutensis, whereas the other five species (C. canescens, C. niger, C. scandinavicus, C. juranus, C. cambricus) formed a poorly supported cluster with no clear substructuring. A principal coordinate analysis yielded results that were in good correspondence with the dendrogram. Again C. albokermesinus appears to be totally isolated from the other species. In addition, two well-defined and rather isolated groups were found: (1) C. tomentosus and C. soczavianus, and (2) C. antoninae and C. uralensis, with the remainder comprising a loosely defined group. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Inheritance of seedling and adult plant resistance to leaf rust of selected Australian spring and English winter wheat varieties

Genetic studies were conducted to gain an understanding of the inheritance of adult plant resistance (APR) to leaf rust in six common wheat varieties. The Australian varieties ‘Cranbrook’ and ‘Harrier’ each carry two genes for APR to leaf rust. These genes are genetically independent of the seedling resistance genes Lr23 and Lrl7b, carried by the respective varieties. Adult plant resistance in ‘Suneca’ was conferred by at least two genes, in addition to the seedling genes Lr1 and Lrli. It is likely that the APRs in ‘Cranbrook’, ‘Harrier’ and ‘Suneca’ are conferred by uncharacterized gene(s). Tests of allelism confirmed that seedling resistances in the varieties ‘Avocet R’, ‘Hereward’, ‘Moulin’ and ‘Pastiche’ are conferred by Lrli. Adult plant resistance in the variety ‘Hereward’ was inherited monogenically, whereas varieties ‘Moulin’ and ‘Pastiche’ each carried two dominant genes. On the basis of rust specificity and pedigree analysis, it would seem likely that the APR genes in ‘Hereward’, ‘Moulin’ and ‘Pastiche’ are also currently uncharacterized.     

Effects of D-genome chromosomes on crossability of hexaploid triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) with maize

With the aim of producing polyhaploids of hexaploid triticale, 20 genotypes from a CIMMYT breeding programme and eight D-genome chromosome substitution lines of ‘Rhino’ were crossed with maize. In crosses between 20 triticale genotypes and maize, 15 lines produced embryos. Frequencies of embryo formation ranged from 0.0 to 5.4%, with an average of 1.1%. From a total of 200 pollinated spikes, 62 plants were regenerated. Most regenerated plants were polyhaploids with 21 chromosomes, and few aneuhaploids with 22 chromosomes were found. In crosses of triticale substitution lines with maize, all the lines produced embryos, while ‘Rhino’ produced no embryos at all. Higher frequencies of embryo formation were obtained in substitution lines with chromosomes 2D and 4D. These results suggest that D-genome chromosomes in a triticale genetic background have the effect of increasing the frequency of polyhaploid production in triticale x maize crosses.