Backcross breeding to increase seed retention in cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.)

Summary The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of the backcross breeding method to improve an existing variety (Hallmark) for higher seed retention.The recurrent parent was cv. Hallmark (H) and the donor parent was cv. Marta (M). Marta is an Italian cultivar with a high degree of seed retention. Two cycles of backcrossing with selection for higher seed retention were conducted. In each cycle, 1200 plants were grown. In both BC₁ F₁ and BC₂ F₁, 20 plants were selected for general features of H and for a high degree of seed retention. The 20 plants of BC₂ F₁ were intercrossed in 1989. The bulked population thus obtained (HS) was evaluated in 1989–90 together with H and M as spaced plants in a randomized complete block design with 4 replicates. Regarding seed retention, H had a score of 7.9, M of 1.7 and HS of 2.8, LSD (0.05)=0.8, on a scale from 1 to 9. Consequently HS had similar seed retention to M but similar ear emergence date, plant height and panicle morphology to H. The results confirm that seed shattering is under control of a single partially or completely dominant gene.     

Traditional seed maintenance and origins of the French lucerne landraces

Summary As for other forage crops the notion of variety is quite recent in lucerne (Medicago sativa L.). Up to 1950 in France, farmers cultivated landraces whose origins were geographically defined. Seed production was a by-product of forage production. Usually, seeds were harvested on the second or third crop, in old lucerne fields. Natural selection created landraces adapted to local conditions. In some years, climatic conditions, especially in northern regions, were unfavourable to seed production. In the exchanges and trades of seeds between French regions, the genetic origin of the seeds was omitted, the geographical origin was only mentioned. Even if France usually exported lucerne seeds, imports occurred in bad years. Seeds were imported from European countries and from North and South America. Varieties from America were poorly adapted to the French conditions for forage production. These foreign varieties have probably intercrossed with the local landraces but no data is available to know to what extent. Among the various French landraces, five main types were defined using morphological characters: Flamande in the north, three types (Poitou, Marais de Luçon, Marais de Challans) in the west, and Provence in the south. These landraces have been widely used in breeding since 1950. Even though these five landraces are, up to now, maintained, the other landraces have probably been lost (no more cultivated and not in genebanks), replaced by registered varieties.     

The presence of three groups of Scalavatis and other hexaploid bread wheat plants contaminating durum wheat fields in Cyprus

Summary The mutual resemblance of 81 hexaploid wheat plants contaminating durum fields on Cyprus was investigated by determining their phenotypes of gliadins, glutenins and peroxidase. Three groups were generated by clustering programs. Group 1 consists of plants with ears resembling those of durum plants, plants of groups 2 and 3 have a bread wheat appearance. Suggestions on the origin of these three groups are made. Group 1 may derive from (back)crosses between hexaploid and durum plants since time immemorial. If so, the hexaploid plants would have served as donor of the D genomes, and durum plants as the recurrent parent. Groups 2 and 3 may derive from two introductions, either from two countries, or from the same country, but then in different periods.     

Association of gene for grain colour with monosome XIV of Avena sativa L.

Summary The F₂'s from crosses between Dyfed (S.240; a black grained cultivar) and monosomics of Sun II (non-black cultivar) were analysed. With the exception of F₂ progenies involving monosomes, II, VI, VII, X, XI, XII, XIII and XIV, all other deviated from the genetic ratio 3 black: 1 non-black. The cytological examination of the non-black individuals belonging to those families that did not deviate from the 3:1 ratio showed that they were either 41- or 42-chromosome plants. However, non-black individuals involving monosome XIV were 40-chromosome plants. The gene conferring the black colour to the grains in Avena sativa cv. Dyfed (S.240) is located on chromosome XIV.Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Sind Agriculture University. Tando Jam. Pakistan.     

Morphology,cytology and forage potential of Pennisetum americanum (L.) K. Schum. x P. Purpureum Schum. amphidiploids

Summary F₁ hybrids between short-day photoperiod- sensitive maiwa bulrush millet, Pennisetum americanum (2n=14), and elephant grass, P. purpureum (2n=28), are triploid (2n=21), sterile, and can only be propagated vegetatively. Fertile amphidiploids, (2n=42, with 21 bivalents) were produced by colchicine treatment. Good seed set was obtained upon selfing the amphidiploids and the progeny exhibited variable pollen fertility and bivalent univalent and multivalent formation.Reciprocal crosses between elephant grass and the colchicine-induced amphidiploid failed to produce seeds. The maiwa millet x amphidiploid cross resulted in poor seed set and the reciprocal failed. Maiwa x amphidiploid hybrids were pollen sterile with 2n=21, rather than the expected 2n=28, indicating chromosome elimination.Morphologically, the amphidiploids and maiwa x amphidiploid hybrids closely resembled elephant grass and the F₁ hybrid. The amphidiploids showed no superiority over the F₁ hybrid and elephant grass in either forage yield or quality but one maiwa x amphidiploid genotype surpassed a promising local elephant grass selection in forage dry matter yield and flowered for a relatively short period.     

The predictive value of quantitative genetic parameters in autogamous crops: Bias caused by intergenotypic competition. 1. F∞-mean

Summary Quantitative genetic theory for autogamous crops enables the estimation of the parameters m (F-mean) and D (F-variance) in the F₃-generation. With these estimated m and D a prediction can be made of the probability of finding superior inbred lines in the F-offspring of the cross. The accuracy of this procedure is influenced by the correctness of the genetic model, by the magnitude of the error variance, and by the bias caused by intergenotypic competition, which is present in the environment in which the F₃ is grown and absent in the monoculture environment at which the selection is aimed, especially in a cereal crop like wheat. The influence of the intergenotypic competition was investigated by a special method of simulating segregating populations. In this method genotypes in the offspring of a cross are represented by varieties and segregating populations are composed by mixing the appropriate varieties according to the proper segregation frequencies. Growing the simulated population enables the estimation of m and D in the normal selection environment, while simultaneously growing the varieties in a large monoculture trial enables the calculation of true values of m and D in the monoculture environment. Hence, a comparison is possible.The first of this set of two papers presents the investigations on the influence of intergenotypic competition on the estimation of the parameter m. The correlation coefficient of the estimates from the selection environment with the calculated true values from the monoculture environment was small. Sometimes the selection environment estimation significantly underestimated the (true) monoculture value of m, sometimes it significantly overestimated the monoculture value. On the average the smaller true values of m were underestimated and the larger ones overestimated.     

Chromosomal location of powdery mildew resistance genes in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell.) 3. Gene Pm22 in cultivar Virest

Summary Common wheat cultivar Virest possesses mildew resistance which is different from resistances expressed by currently documented mildew resistance genes, detected by response to eleven differential wheat powdery mildew isolates. F₂ populations from hybrids of the 21 Chinese Spring monosomic lines with Virest revealed one major dominant gene, located on wheat chromosome 1D. The new gene is designated Pm22. Italian cultivars Elia, Est Mottin, Ovest and Tudest also showed the disease response pattern corresponding to Virest.     

Numerical taxonomy of Portuguese Tronchuda cabbage and Galega kale landraces using morphological characters

Summary A morphological study was carried out to determine the relationships among Portuguese cole landraces using 58 accessions belonging to: (i) Portuguese Tronchuda cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. tronchuda Bailey syn. var. costata De Candolle, Couve Tronchuda); (ii) Portuguese Galega kale (B. oleracea var. acephala De Candolle, Couve Galega); and (iii) other economically less important coles such as Algarve cabbages (B. oleracea var. capitata L., Couve do Algarve or B. oleracea var. sabauda L., Couve Repolho-lombarda do Algarve). The cole accessions were collected from the growers, studied under field conditions during two consecutive years, and characterized using 46 morphological characters from seedling stage to ripe silique. Morphological data were analysed by numerical taxonomy techniques using UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method Using Arithmetic Averages) and by principal component analysis (PCA). Phenograms based on correlation and distance coefficients showed the existence of 8 main groups (A-H). Five of these groups correspond to Tronchuda cabbage landraces: (A) Couves de Trás-os-Montes; (B) Couves do Minho; (C) Couves from Central Portugal; (D) Couve Portuguesa; (E) Couves from Southern inland Portugal. The three other groups correspond to: (F) cabbages; (G) miscellaneous coles; and (H) Galega kales. Landrace groups are primarily associated with morphological differences among accessions and secondly with accession geographical origin. The interannual character variation did not affect the clustering patterns of the accessions and therefore the stability of landrace classification. PCA was congruent with the landrace groups defined by the phenograms and gave supplementary information on the usefulness of the characters for the definition of the various groups.     

Sources of resistance to Mayetiola Destructor in breadwheat and durum wheat in Morocco

Summary Grain yield reductions of both breadwheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum) caused by attacks of Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor Say) are second perhaps only to those caused by inadequate soil moisture in Morocco. To identify effective sources of resistance, 817 entries of common wheat and durum wheat reported to be resistant to Hessian fly were evaluated under natural infestations in Morocco. A large number of genes conferring virulence are present in populations of Moroccan Mayetiola. The genes H₁, H₂, H₃, h₄, H₆, H₇, H₈, H₉, H₁₀, H₁₁, H₁₄, H₁₅, and H₁₆ as well as the Marquillo, Kawvale and PI 94587 resistance sources are not useful for cereal improvement in North Africa. Luso, which has the gene H₁₂, also appeared susceptible in limited testing. Genotypes having the genes H₅ and H₁₃ were identified as significantly reducing larval survial in natural populations of Mayetiola. Of 11 resistant breadwheats identified with unknown genes, seven were from Portugal and three were from the Soviet Union. Although none of the durums tested had high levels of reistance, the two most promising durums were from Portugal. It is proposed that initially H₅ be deployed in durum wheats and H₁₃ be used in common wheat improvement. Leaf pubescence appears of little use in reducing the larval survival of Mayetiola.     

Genetics of resistance in the wheat cultivar chhoti lerma against stem rust race 122

Summary Genetics of rust resistance against stem rust race 122 in Chhoti Lerma was studied both by conventional and aneuploid analysis. Observations on F₁, F₂ and F₂ backcross progenies revealed the operation of two recessive genes, controlling resistance in Chhoti Lerma. Monosomic analysis confirmed the operation of two recessive genes conferring resistance to race 122 located on chromosomes 1D and 7D. A minor gene or modifier was also located on chromosome 1B. This was concluded from the fact that F₂ of mono's x Chhoti Lerma exhibited skewness in favour of resistant plants.     

Inheritance of aroma in rice

Summary Inheritance of an aroma was worked out in crosses between Brimful from Nepal as an aromatic rice and leading Japanese varieties Koshihikari and Nipponbare as non-aromatic ones. The F₂ pattern of segregation for aroma to non-aroma was 3:13 indicating one dose gene for aroma and one dose inhibitor gene in two crosses. This ratio was confirmed by genetic behavior of F₃ populations.     

Morphological and biochemical variation in Sardinian populations ofMedicago polymorpha L. suitable for rainfed Mediterranean conditions

Summary Forty five accessions of Sardinian germplasm ofMedicago polymorpha L., derived from a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions, were evaluated to identify useful genetic resources for the development of cultivars for rainfed Mediterranean conditions. The accessions were assessed for variation in morphological, agronomic and biochemical traits. Considerable variation was found between populations indicating the potential for selection.Work supported by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), Special Project Foraggicoltura Prativa, subproject Miglioramento Genetico.     

Chromosome locations of leaf rust resistance genes in selected tetraploid wheats through substitution lines

Langdon durum D-genome disomic substitution lines were used to study the chromosome locations of adult-plant leaf rust resistance genes identified from tetraploid wheat accessions. The accessions are 104 (Triticum turgidum subsp. dicoccum var. arras) and 127 (T. turgidum subsp. durum var. aestivum). The complete sets of the substitution lines were crossed as female parents with the accessions and F₁ double monosomic individuals selected at metaphase I. Segregating F₂ individuals were inoculated during the flag leaf stage with pathotype UVPrt2 of Puccinia triticina. The substitution analysis involving accession 104 showed that the gene for leaf rust resistance is located on chromosome 6B. The analysis with accession 127 indicated that chromosome 4A carries a gene for leaf rust resistance. The two novel genes are temporarily designated as Lrac104 and Lrac127, respectively from accessions 104 and 127.     

Rachis brittleness in a hybrid–parent barley (Hordeum vulgare) breeding germplasm with different combinations at the non-brittle rachis genes

Two dominant, closely linked and complementary genes, Btr1 and Btr2, control rachis brittleness in barley. Recessive mutations in any of these genes turn the fragile rachis (brittle) into a tough rachis phenotype (non-brittle). The cross of parents with alternative mutations in the btr genes leads to a brittle F₁ hybrid that presents grain retention problems. We evaluated rachis fragility through a mechanical test and under natural conditions, in F₁ crosses with different compositions at the btr genes. Brittleness was significantly higher in Btr1btr1Btr2btr2 crosses compared to hybrids and inbred parents carrying one of the mutations (btr1btr1Btr2Btr2/Btr1Btr1btr2btr2). This fact could jeopardize the efficient harvest of hybrids bearing alternative mutations, reducing the choice of possible crosses for hybrid barley breeding and hindering the exploitation of potential heterotic patterns. Furthermore, non-brittle hybrids showed higher brittleness than inbreds, suggesting the presence of other dominant factors affecting the trait. In conclusion, this work encourages a deeper study of the genetic control of the rachis brittleness trait and urges the consideration of rachis tenacity as a target for hybrid barley breeding.     

Genetics of stem rust resistance in the durum wheat accession ‘Reichenbachii’

Summary Inheritance of seedling reactions to cultures of races TLM and MBCT of Puccinia graminis f.sp. tritici was studied in crosses of the resistant durum Reichenbachii with susceptible Marruecos 9623 and DZ04-118. The Chi-square test for goodness of fit was used to analyze segregating populations. Two independent recessive genes appeared to control resistance of Reichenbachii to both TLM and MBCT. Depending upon the cross, the two genes interacted cumulatively to condition immunity or higher levels of resistance than either parent conditioned singly. There was no evidence of maternal influence on the inheritance of resistance. Resistance genes in Reichenbachii were recessive; therefore, breeders should consider the use of relatively large F₂ populations to effectively transfer these genes to cultivars with good agronomic characteristics.     

Genetics of a high-selfing trait in pigeonpea

Summary A true-breeding line characterized by free filaments of anthers and modified keel petal was derived from F₂ population of an intergeneric cross between Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. and Atylosia lineata W. & A. This variant, designated as partial cleistogamy, favours a high level of self-fertilization. The inheritance of this trait was studied in the F₁, F₂, F₃, and BC₁F₁ generations of three crosses. The results suggest that the partial cleistogamy trait is governed by a single recessive gene, designated as pct.     

Inheritance of a resistance specific to tomato spotted wilt tospovirus in Capsicum chinense ‘PI 159236’

Summary Inheritance studies were conducted to determine the genetic basis of resistance in pepper against one Tospovirus isolate classified as tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). F₁, backcrosses and F₂ populations were developed using the resistant parent Capsicum chinense PI 159236 (CNPH 679) and the susceptible parent C. annuum Magda (CNPH 192). Segregation ratios strongly indicated that the resistant response (a localization, hypersensitive-like reaction) to TSWV fits a single-dominant gene model. Under our experimental conditions, the penetrance of this gene was very high. This gene (tentatively named Tsw) is highly effective only against TSWV isolates. The resistance governed by the Tsw gene was not effective against isolates belonging to tomato chlorotic spot virus (TCSV) and groundnut ring spot virus (GRSV), two other previously described Tospovirus species.     

Linkage studies in rice (Oryza sativa L.): Flowering,growth habit and pigmentation

Summary Genetic analysis of ten characters in a rice cross M 18 × T979 revealed the interaction of duplicate, complimentary, inhibitory and anti-inhibitory genes in conditioning pigment in eight characters and in determining flowering and growth habit. The action of genes and their interactions indicated by complex ratios for all the ten characters are claimed to be the first reports. pleiotropic action of two complementary genes and four duplicate genes has been detected. Two linkage groups, one with three genes (Ai-Plg-Ai-Pau-Pja) and the other with nine genes (Plg_a-Pin_a-Er_a-Ef_a-I-Plg-Pg₁-Pn₁-Pr₁-Pnr₁) have been constituted. The three-gene group is tentatively placed in the IV mp group and the other with nine genes is assigned to the X fh group. As a result of the present investigation Ai-Plg is an addition to the IV mp group and Plg_a, Pin_a, Er_a, I-Plg, Pg₁, Pn₁ Pr₁ and Pnr₁ are contributions to the X fh group.     

New sources of nonspecific resistance to rust and common bacterial blight in dry bean landrace Pompadour

Summary Inheritance of resistance of five melon lines to two strains of Sphaerotheca fuliginea belonging to races 1 (Sf1) and 2 (Sf2) and to one strain of Erysiphe cichoracearum (Ec) have been studied. PMR 45 possesses one dominant gene controlling only Sf1. WMR 29 has one dominant gene for resistance to Sf1 and another for Sf2 and these genes seem to be linked. In line PMR 5, one dominant gene (or a group of three closely linked genes) is involved in the control of the three strains with one complementary gene for Sf1 and another one for Ec. PI 124112 has one dominant gene or two closely linked loci controlling Sf1 and Sf2 and two complementary different genes controlling Ec. Nantais Oblong has one dominant gene controlling only Ec. A nomenclature of the genes described is proposed.     

Yielding ability, yield stability, and quality of exotic durum wheat germplasm in Sicily

A set of 20 accessions of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L., durum group), which mostly included exotic landraces from various Mediterranean countries, and four Italian improved varieties were evaluated for grain yield in five environments and for quality traits in two environments of Sicily. Glutenin composition was also assessed electro-phoretically on six seeds per entry. The cultivars differed (P ≤ 0.01) for yield, protein content and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS-sed) sedimentation volume, in the presence of significant (P ≥ 0.001) genotype-environment interaction effects. These effects were large for yield and moderately large for protein content relative to genotype main effects following estimation of variance components. Most exotic cultivars yielded comparably with, and some of them showed greater stability than, the best yielding Italian variety 'Simeto. Some exotic cultivars combined outstanding yield, protein content and SDS-sedimentation values and represent therefore extremely valuable germplasm sources to broaden the local genetic base. The glutenin composition LMW-2 and HMW 7 + 8 was positively associated with gluten quality. Six entries showed heterogeneous electrophoretic patterns, suggesting the presence of different genotypes within the cultivar.