Amino-Acid Resources in the Wild Progenitor of Wheats, Triticum dicoccoides, in Israel — Polymorphisms and Predictability by Ecology and Isozymes

Amino acid contents were measured in 109 genotypes from 22 populations of wild emmer wheat, Triticum dicoccoides, across its ecological range in Israel. Plants were grown outdoors on mesic Mr. Carmel, in a standardized environment, without irrigation and fertilization. T. dicoccoides was high in lysine and isoleucine contents as compared to six other species of wild wheats, but low in threonine and proline. Significant correlations were found among lysine and the other essential amino acids. Significant differences between Israeli populations of T. dicoccoides were found for isoleucine, methionine, leucine and threonine, but not for lysine, arginine, proline and glutamic acid. Significant differences between regions were only found in methionine. Ecological factors and allozyme markers appear to be good guidelines for predicting the ecogeographical location and allozymic constitution of specific elite amino acid genotypes, either singly or in combination. T. dicoccoides may be used in the future as a promising genetic resource for genetically improving the nutritional value of cultivated wheats.