Introgression of Genetic Information from Triticum monococcum L, into Hexaploid Triticale by Hybridization with a T. monococcum×S. cereale Amphiploid

Four hexaploid triticale lines were crossed as females with a T. monococcum×S. cereale amphiploid (A^mA^mRR), with the aim of introducing the genetic material of diploid wheat. F₁-plants (A^mABRR)were back-crossed with a parental form of 6×-triticale as male and progenies were subjected to four different types of pollination with the aim of finding the optimal one in respect to gradual stabilization of introgressive hexaploid karyotypes. Beginning with BC₁-plants, a strong tendency to decrease the somatic chromosome number was observed. In subsequent generations this was accompanied by the decrease of seed germination and plant fertility. Both of these characters showed statistically significant dependence on somatic chromosome number variation which was analyzed in BC₁/F₂ and BC₂ populations. Based on spike fertility, an effective selection pressure was applied to restitute the hexaploid chromosome number. In the BC₁/F₄ generation, the first morphologically uniform secondary hexaploid lines were selected. 11.4% of the lines showed a non-waxy spike — a morphological marker transmitted from T. monococcum.