Production and genetic characterization of the co-isogenic lines of a common wheat Triticum aestivum CV. S-615 for ten major genes

Summary Co-isogenic lines of a common wheat, Triticum aestivum, cv. S-615 with each of the following ten major genes were produced by repeated backcrosses; The gene C on 2D chromosome for the compactum character, s on 3D for the sphaerococcum character, Hd on 4B, B1 on 5A, and B2 on 6B for awn suppression, Hg on 1A for glume hairiness, Hp on 4A for peduncle hairiness, Ne1 on 5B and Ne2 on 2B for hybrid necrosis, and v1 on 3B for virescence. Seven of them showed the typical mendelian fashion of inheritance, while three others (C, s and v1) were transmitted at lower frequencies than their corresponding normal alleles.The effects of those major genes on 24 characters of cv. S-615 were investigated, which are summarized as follows: C: Increased node diameter, number of spikelets per ear and spike density, but decreased lengths of all ear rachis, awn, anther, empty and outer glumes, and grain, and grain index. s: Increased culm diameter and thickness, and spike density, reduced lengths of all 1st and 2nd internodes, culm, flag leaf, rachis, awn, anther, empty and outer glumes, and grain, and grain index, and accelerated heading. Hd: Increased number of spikelets per ear and anther length, while decreased length of awn, and empty and outer glumes. B1: Increased 1st internode, rachis, and anther lengths, and grain index, but decreased spike density, awn length and grain thickness. B2: Increased rachis length, number of spikelets per ear, empty and outer glume lengths and grain index, but reduced awn length and grain thickness. Hg: No effects. Hp: Increased number of spikelets per ear. Ne1: Accelerated heading, and increased empty glume length. Ne2: Increased node and culm diameters. v1: No effects.Two species-specific genes, C and s, affected a large number of characters expressed in various developmental stages. These genes were found to have pleiotropic effects, namely, they influenced, at least, two groups of interdependent characters. Three awn suppressors influenced a limited number of characters, but no evidence of their pleiotropic effects was obtained.Contribution from the Laboratory of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Japan, No. 422. The work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid (No. 148,004) from the Ministry of Education, Japan.