Effects of Alien Cytoplasms on Yield and Quality Traits of Bread Wheat

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of alien cytoplasms on grain yield and specific quality traits; test weight, thousand-kernel weight, protein percentage, protein quality, and grain hardness of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Genetic material consisted of F populations from 3 crosses between three bread wheat cultivars (Gerek-79, Bezostaja-1, and Dagdas-94) widely grown in Central Anatolia and five alloplasmic lines of Selkirk. The experimental plots were grown in Cumra and Konya locations in Turkey using a factorial complete randomized block design with four replications. Nuclear gene and location effects dominated the traits but significant cytoplasmic effects were also observed. Cytoplasmic effects varied depending on nucleus x cytoplasm interactions. The effect of a given cytoplasm also varied depending on growing conditions. While some cytoplasms showed good potential for improving specific traits (e.g., Aegilops ventricosa and Ae. juvenalis for grain yield, Ae. juvenalis for softer grains, Ae. uniaristata and Ae. ventricosa for harder grains, Ae. variabilis and Ae. uniaristata for high test weight, and Ae. juvenalis for high thousand kernel weight, TKW), cytoplasmic effects on protein percentage and protein quality were either neutral or negative. Significant cytoplasm x nucleus interactions suggests that suitable combinations could be identified to increase grain yield and quality in wheat