Genetic control of the long glume phenotype in tetraploid wheat by homoeologous chromosomes

The Ispahan emmer wheat, Triticum ispahanicum Heslot, was discovered in Iran 1957 by the French expedition of Vinnot- Bourgen. T. ispahanicum has a long glume and a more slender spike than T. turgidum var. polonicum. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the inheritance and chromosomal location of the gene for long glume, P2, from T. ispahanicum using the near- isogenic line P2-LD222, and (2) to compare the effects of the genes for long glume. The gene for long glume, P2, was located approximately 36.5 cM from the cn-B1 locus, which controls the chlorina trait and approximately 40 cM from the centromere on the long arm of 7B. The location of P2 approximately 29.6 cM from the Pc locus produced additional evidence that the order of loci was cn-B1, P2, and Pc. This raises the possibility of a paralogous gene set conditioning long glumes. A significant deviation from a 3:1 ratio in the F2 of LDN 7D(7B)/P2-LD222 confirmed the location of P2 on chromosome 7B. It is proposed that T. ispahanicum originated as a mutation of a gene affecting glume length on chromosome 7B of T. dicoccum, a spelt type of cultivated tetraploid wheat. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Telosomic mapping of the homoeologous genes for the long glume phenotype in tetraploid wheat

Triticum turgidum ssp. polonicum and T. ispahanicum were characterized by the long glume phenotype. P ₁ gene determines the long glume phenotype of T. polonicum, and locates on chromosome 7A. T. ispahanicum has shorter glume than T. polonicum and the long glumephenotype is determined by P ₂ gene located on chromosome 7B. In the present study, aneuploid stocks of `Langdon' durum wheat were used to map the genes, P ₁ and P ₂. P ₁ located on the long arms of chromosome 7A and its map distances from the centromere was 14.5 cM. On chromosome 7B, four loci located as cc (chocolate black chaff) – Pc (purple culm) – centromere – P ₂ – cn-BI (chlorina). P ₂ located on the long arms of chromosome 7B and its map distances from the centromere was 11.7 cM. It was suggested that a paralogous gene set conditions long glume phenotype in the homoeologous group 7 chromosomes. The P ₁ and P ₂ genes may be useful as genetic markers in tetraploid wheat.     

Variation and interrelationships of agronomic traits in Ethiopian tetraploid wheat landraces

Summary Sixty tetraploid wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) landrace agrotypes collected from the central highlands of Ethiopia and one commercial check cultivar (Boohai) were evaluated at Akaki experimental station for grain yield and 11 other component traits. The objectives were to estimate phenotypic (PCV) and genetic (GCV) coefficients of variation, broad-sense heritability (H) and genetic advance (GA), and to determine the interrelationships among the various traits. Genotypic differences among the agrotypes were highly significant for all the traits considered. Compared to Boohai, the landrace agrotypes were later in days-to-heading (DTH) and maturity (DTM), and had shorter grain filling period (GFP), lower fertility (KS) and lower 1000-kernel weight (TKW). By contrast, they were superior to Boohai in tiller number (TN), biological yield (BY) and grain yield plant^-1 (GYP). Intermediate to high order estimate combinations of GCV, H and GA (as % of the mean) were observed for TN, GYP, number of kernels spike^-1 (NKS), harvest index (HI) and TKW. GYP showed a moderate heritability which was higher than GFP, BY and Plant height (PHt). DTH and DTM were strongly correlated, but both were negatively associated with the rest of the traits except PHt. The negative correlation of DTM with GYP was largely indirect via other characters. PHt had either a weak or negative association with the other traits. TN and TKW were positively correlated with GYP, and had high and intermediate direct effects, respectively. These two traits, however, were negatively correlated and showed a substantial counter-balance effect via one another. It appears that, for the short-term, improvement of the Ethiopian wheat landraces may be possible through indirect selection for TN and TKW or direct selection for grain yield per se. In the long-run, crossing programmes between indigenous and introduced germplasm may be necessary.     

Nitrogen uptake and remobilization in tetraploid 'Langdon' durum wheat and a recombinant substitution line with the high grain protein gene Gpc-B1

Tetraploid wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum) cv. ‘Langdon’ (LDN) and its near‐isogenic recombinant substitution line no. 68 (RSL no. 68) carrying the high grain protein gene Gpc‐B1 from emmer wheat, were compared in three greenhouse experiments to establish in which way Gpc‐B1 increases grain protein concentration (GPC). At anthesis, RSL no. 68 had higher soluble protein and amino acids concentrations in the flag leaf than LDN. At maturity, both lines presented a similar above ground biomass and grain yield. However, RSL no. 68 showed a higher total N content in ears, grain and chaff than LDN; N harvest index (NHI) was also higher because of a lower straw N concentration and higher grain N concentration. When both lines were grown with a low N supply, and when N supply was interrupted before anthesis, similar trends were observed but the differences in GPC were smaller. It is concluded that RSL no. 68 accumulates a higher GPC than LDN mainly because of a more efficient N remobilization from the leaves to the ears during grain filling.     

春小麦不同穗位和粒位籽粒蛋白质积累方式的初步研究

利用多小穗大粒型春小麦品种东农7742，研究了不同穗位和粒位籽粒蛋白质积累方式，结果表明：随着灌浆成熟，各部位籽粒蛋白质含量逐渐增加；穗内成熟籽粒蛋白质含量相差9％；不同穗位籽粒蛋白质积累相对含量的顺序为中部粒＞下部粒＞上部粒；不同粒位蛋白积累相对含量的顺序则是第2小花粒≥第1小花粒＞第3小花粒。不同位置籽粒蛋白质的积累能力与其相应的粒重有一定关系，但并非完全一致，表明着生部位和发育时间的早晚及生理机制的差异，影响着蛋白质的积累过程和最终合成。     

小麦子粒构型性状与粒重的相关性分析

对小麦6044和01-35及由这两个材料构建的187个重组自交系群体的子粒构型性状(粒长、粒宽、粒厚、粒形等)和产量相关性状千粒重进行了相关性分析。结果表明,千粒重与粒长、粒宽、粒厚都有较高的相关性,其中与粒厚相关性最高(相关系数r=0.854**),表明粒厚对粒重的影响最大,粒宽与粒长次之。子粒构型性状之间也有一定的相关性,其中粒宽与粒厚的相关性最大(r=0.775**),其次为粒长/粒宽与粒长/粒厚(r=0.754**),而粒厚与粒长/粒厚表现为极显著负相关(r=-0.612**),说明粒形主要受粒长和粒厚的影响。     

The effects of homoeologous group 3 chromosomes on grain colour dependent seed dormancy and brittle rachis in tetraploid wheat

`Langdon' (LDN), a durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum) cultivar, and a set of chromosome substitution lines of Langdon, where A or B genome chromosome were replaced with a homologous chromosome of wild emmer wheat, T. turgidum ssp. dicoccoides (DIC), were used to assess the effect of the specific chromosome on seed dormancy in tetraploid wheat. The LDN(DIC 3A) and LDN (DIC 313) lines showed significantly lower seed germination than Langdon. It appears that LDN(DIC 3A) and LDN(DIC 3B) have red grain whose allele were designated as R-A1b and R-B1b, respectively and the rachises of LDN(DIC 3A) and LDN(DIC 3B) were fragile. The alleles for brittle rachis were designated as Br ₂ for LDN(DIC 3A) and Br ₃ for LDN(DIC 3B). From the F₂ of the crosses, Langdon/LDN(DIC 3A) and Langdon/LDN(DIC 3B), Br ₂ was located approximately 44.2 cM from the R-A1b locus and Br ₃ approximately 47.0 cM from the R-B1b locus, respectively. Recombinant inbred chromosomal lines for 3A and 3B were used to assess (1) the linkage relationship between grain colour and fragile rachis, and (2) the effect of grain colour on germination. Estimated distance between R-B1b – Br ₂ was 39.6 cM. For the 3A population, germination percentage of both colour groups was 12.4% for the red grain group and 68.6% for the amber group, respectively. For the 3B population, germination percentage of the red group was 7.3% and that of the amber group was 82.1%. For both populations, differences were statistical significant by t-tests. We considered that seed dormancy of T. turgidum ssp. dicoccoides was dependent on grain colour. It raised the possibility that brittle rachis is due to a paralogous gene set on homoeologous group 3 chromosomes. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Genetic control of long glume phenotype in tetraploid wheat derived from Triticum petropavlovskyi Udacz. et Migusch.

The Chinese wheat landrace, Xinjiang rice wheat (T. petropavlovskyi Udacz. et Migusch., 2n = 42), known as ‘Daosuimai’ or rice-head wheat is characterized by long glumes, and was found in the agricultural areas in the west part of Talimu basin, Xinjiang, China in 1948. The gene for long glume from T. petropavlovskyi was introduced into a line of spring durum wheat, LD222. The gene for long glume is located approximately46.8 cm from the cn-A1 locus, which controls the chlorinatrait. Significant deviation from a 3:1 in the F₂ of LDN7D(7A)/ANW5C confirmed that the long glume of T. petropavlovskyi can be controlled by a gene located on chromosome 7A. The gene locates approximately 12.4 ± 0.5 cM from the centromere on the long arm of 7A. It is considered that the gene for long glume from T. petropavlovskyi is an allele on the P ₁ locus, and it should be designated as P _1a. It is suggested that T. petropavlovskyi originated from either the natural hybrid between T. aestivum that has an awn-like appendage on the glume and T. polonicum or a natural point mutation of T. aestivum. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

NORIN 10 semi-dwarfism in tetraploid wheat and associated effects on yield

Summary A genetic study of a range of NORIN 10 based semi-dwarf durum wheats showed that only Gai/Rht 1, located on chromosome 4A, was present. No varieties carrying a second Gai/Rht allele were identified and deliberate attempts to introduce Gai/Rht2 into tetraploid wheats have so far been unsuccessful.In a spaced plant trial of homozygous random F₃ lines from two tall x semi-dwarf crosses, the semi-dwarfs has lower ear yields, due mainly to reduced kernel weight, but had higher tiller numbers than the tall genotypes. Although there was no difference in overall plant yield between talls and semi-dwarfs, an analysis of character associations within the semi-dwarf F₃'s showed positive height-yield and height-kernel weight correlations indicating that selection for tall dwarfs may be a useful breeding strategy in tetraploid wheats.     

Pleiotropic effects of the ea7 photoperiod response gene on the morphology and agronomic traits in barley

The photoperiod‐insensitive barley mutant ‘Atsel’, carrying the recessive gene ea₇, was studied together with the donor variety ‘Atlas’ (wild‐type, Ea₇) under different daylengths with the aim of analysing pleiotropic effects. Grown under long and short photoperiods ‘Atsel’ flowered about 10 days and 34 days, respectively, earlier than ‘Atlas’. The significantly shorter life‐cycle of the photoperiod‐insensitive mutant resulted in several changes of plant morphology. Tillering, plant height, number of leaves and number of internodes were reduced. A lower number of florets per main spike was observed for ‘Atsel’, but only in the long photoperiod experiment. Finally, photoperiod insensitivity combined with a lower grain yield per plant was most pronounced under long‐day treatment. The data are comparable with results obtained from single chromosome recombinant lines of wheat that have differences in their photoperiod response caused by the genes Ppd1 or Ppd2.     

The inheritance and chromosomal location of a gene for long glume in durum wheat

Summary Several near-isogenic lines of durum wheat cv. LD222 have been developed. These include a near-isogenic line carrying gene P and designated P-LD222. The P gene from Triticum polonicum determines a long empty outer glume. The objective of this study was to determine the inheritance and chromosomal location of the P gene. To determine the inheritance, P-LD222 was crossed to two chlorina mutants and to a near-isogenic line for the purple culm trait, Pc-LD222. Linkage of the P gene with the mutated gene in chlorina mutant CDd6 indicated that the P gene was located on chromosome 7A. P-LD222 was also crossed with durum cultivar Langdon (LDN) and the LDN D genome substitution lines, LDN 7D(7A) and LDN 7D(7B). Segregation for the long glume trait in the F₂ of LDN/P-LD222 and LDN 7D(7B)/P-LD222 was normal (3:1) and indicated P gene was not on chromosome 7B. Significant deviation from a 3:1 in the F₂ of LDN 7D(7A)/P-LD222 confirmed the location of P on chromosome 7A, as indicated by the linkage analysis.     

Inheritance of glume color and gluten strength in durum wheat

Summary The correlation between glume color and gluten strength and the heritability of each trait was estimated in two durum wheat crosses. Brown glume color appeared to be dominant to white in both crosses. In one cross, glume color was clearly controlled by one gene while in the other cross it appeared to be controlled by one or two genes with modifiers. The heritability of gluten strength was moderately high. The correlation of F₂ glume color and F₃ gluten strength was high (r=0.66 and 0.78) indicating that F₂ glume color was a good predictor of gluten strength in the F₃ generation. Selection for glume color appears to be an effective breeding strategy for improving gluten strength in those environments where glume color differences are easily detected.     

Environmental correlations among grain yield and other important traits of wheat in drylands

Summary Environmental correlation coefficients were computed among all pairs of five traits, namely grain yield, heading date, number of tillers per m², plant height and 1000-grain weight (grain size) using 30 Triticum durum and 30 Triticum aestivum varieties grown in 18 environments. Grain yield was significantly correlated with the other four traits in almost all of the varieties. The mean correlation coefficient over all varieties ranged from 0.58 to –0.83 for durum wheat and 0.66 to 0.88 for aestivum wheat. The correlation coefficients between heading date and the other traits were also significant, ranging from –0.45 to –0.79 in durum wheat and –0.61 to –0.85 in aestivum wheat. The correlation coefficient between number of tillers with plant height and 1000-grain weight were the smallest, 0.19–0.32 in durum wheat and 0.39–0.60 in aestivum wheat. It was concluded that agronomic practices favouring early and good stand establishment in the dry regions will favour the yield components and important adaptive traits, which contribute towards larger yields. Significant differences were found among genotypes in the environmental correlation coefficients and the associated changes in one trait as a result of changes in other traits.     

The genetics of rachis fragility and glume tenacity in semi-wild wheat

The inheritance of rachis fragility and glume tenacity in semi-wild wheat was studied in an attempt to help establish the taxonomic status and genetic origin of semi-wild wheat. Progenies of crosses and backcrosses of semi-wild wheat with the cultivar Columbus (common wheat) indicated that the fragile rachis and non-free-threshing character of semi-wild wheat were dominant to the tough rachis and free-threshing character of common wheat. F₂ and backcross data indicated that the rachis fragility and glume tenacity of semi-wild wheat were each controlled by a single gene in the cross of semi-wild wheat with Columbus. In the cross of semi-wild wheat with Triticum aestivum spp. spelta, the F₂ and F₃ population did not segregate for glume tenacity, but did segregate for rachis fragility. The F₂ and backcross data suggest that three genes interact to control three types of rachis fragility, i.e. semi-wild wheat-type, spelta-type and the tough rachis of common wheat. Semi-wild wheat differs from common wheat in rachis fragility and glume tenacity. This wheat also differs from other wheats with fragile rachis and tenacious glumes (T. aestivum ssp. spelta, macha and vavilovii) in the pattern and degree of rachis disarticulation. We conclude that semi-wild wheat is likely a subspecies within T. aestivum at the same taxonomic level as spp. spelta, macha and vavilovii. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

超级小麦品种穗部性状间相关性分析及穗粒数改良途径的研究

以10个超级小麦品种（系）为材料，对株高与穗部性状间进行了相关分析及穗粒数的改良途径分析．结果表明．穗粒数与株高呈负相关。而与穗长、分化小穗、结实小穗均呈显著或极显著的正相关：穗长并口结实小穗数对小麦穗粒数的影响最大。均为极显著正相关：我国超级小麦的育种目标应是在一定群体的基础上通过增加穗粒数来提高小麦的单稳重。在穗粒数的改良过程中，应选育矮秆、大穗、结实小穗数多的品种。     

Pleiotropic effects on the ml-o mildew resistance gene in barley in different genetical backgrounds

Summary The effects on quantitative characters of the ml-o5 allele has been investigated by means of doubled haploid lines produced by the Hordeum bulbosum method. In one series of experiments the genetic background in each cross was found significantly to modify the negative pleiotropic effects. Doubled haploids were also produced from a F1 cross and tested in the field during two years, one with strong and one with weak mildew infections. In the first year only an insignificant reduction in grain yield was detected in the mlo lines, in the second it was significantly reduced with 5.9%. Thousand grain weights were, however, higher in the resistant lines. In both series of experiments the possibility to extract very high yielding mlo genotypes was demonstrated. The nature of the genetic background effect is discussed.     

Mapping QTLs of traits contributing to yield and analysis of genetic effects in tetraploid cotton

Fiber yield and yield components – including lint index (LI), seed index (SI), lint yield (LY), seed cotton yield (SCY) and number of seeds per boll (NSPB) – were investigated on the farm of Huazhong Agricultural University in a population of 69 F₂ individuals and corresponding F_2:3 families derived from a cross between high-fiber-yield Gossypium hirsutum CV Handan 208 and a low-fiber-yield Gossypium barbadense CV Pima 90. On the basis of the genetic map constructed previously from the same population by Lin et al. (Plant Breed., 2005), quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was performed with the software QTL Cartographer V2.0 using composite interval mapping method (LOD ≥ 3.0). A total of 21 QTLs were identified, which were located in 15 linkage groups. The number of QTLs per trait ranged from one to seven. Of these QTLs detected, one affecting LI explained 24.3% of phenotypic variation (PV), five influencing SI explained 16.15–39.21% of PV, seven controlling LY explained 13.01–28.35% of PV, and two controlling SCY explained 22.76 and 39.97% of PV, respectively. Simultaneously, the detected six QTLs for NSPB were located on five linkage groups, which individually explained 28.01–38.32% of the total phenotypic variation. The results would give breeders further insight into the genetic basis of fiber yield.     

四倍体小麦矮杆地方品种的C带分析

矮杆番麦是四倍体小麦地方品种罕见的矮杆种质,采用改主的Ｃ带技术对基尖细胞染色体进行了分析,矮杆番麦体细胞具１４对染色体,染色体组型ＡＡＢＢ。非同源染色体之间,带的数目,大小,强弱及分布情况各异,根据其特殊的带型,容易将筹杆番麦的单条染色体及分开,据此认为Ｃ带可作为矮杆番麦染色体的细胞学标记,矮杆番麦的带型与原始类型的野生二粒小麦相似,表明其基因未发生过大的染色体重排,因此,矮杆番麦的矮杆性状不是由