Genetic variability of spike and kernel traits in a collection of bread wheat landraces

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

2 Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran;Center of Excellence for Cereal Molecular Breeding, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

3 International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Karaj, Iran

Abstract

Wheat landraces are a valuable source of allelic diversity for various traits that could be used to broaden the genetic basis of elite germplasms. Assessment of genetic variation of grain yield (GY) and correlated traits is essential for implications in wheat yield improvement. In the present study, a set of 140 spring wheat landrace accessions, collected from various geographical regions of Iran, were evaluated for GY and spike-related characters at two successive cropping seasons. Higher genetic variation was observed among the landraces for the studied traits as revealed by phenotypic (PCV) and genotypic (GCV) coefficient of variation. For all traits, PCV was higher than GCV indicating the influence of the growing season on the variation of the traits. Although the heritability estimate (h2) for GY was low (0.35), the yield-related traits showed higher h2 ranging from 0.63 to 0.93. The distribution patterns of landraces, as revealed by cluster analysis and principal component analysis, did not align closely with their geographical distribution. However, accessions with similar phenotypic characteristics were grouped together. The population structure and genetic relationships of the Iranian bread wheat landraces presented here highlight their diverse genetic architecture. The results of this study provide valuable information for the utilization of landraces in the genetic improvement of bread wheat.

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Journal of Plant Physiology and Breeding

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 01 May 2024

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