Abstract
The use of genetic resources in breeding is considered critical to ensure future selection gain, but the absence of important adaptation genes often masks the breeding value of genetic resources for grain yield. Testing genetic resources in a hybrid background has been proposed as a solution to obtain unbiased estimates of breeding values for grain yield. In our study, we evaluated the suitability of European wheat elite lines for implementing this hybrid strategy, focusing on maximizing seed yield in hybrid production and reducing masking effects due to susceptibility to lodging, yellow rust, and leaf rust of genetic resources. Over a 3-year period, 63 wheat elite female lines were crossed with eight male plant genetic resources in a multi-environment field experiment to evaluate seed yield on the female side. Then, the resulting hybrids and their parents were tested for plant height, lodging, and susceptibility to yellow rust and leaf rust in a further field experiment at multiple locations. We found that seed yield was strongly influenced by the elite wheat line choice in addition to environment and observed substantial differences among elite tester lines in their ability to reduce susceptibility to lodging, yellow rust, and leaf rust when the hybrid strategy was implemented. Consequently, breeders can significantly increase the amount of hybrid seed produced in wide crosses through appropriate tester choice and adapt genetic resources of wheat with the hybrid strategy to the modern cropping system.
Highlights
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important crops for the world’s food supply, with an estimated production of around 762.2 million tons in 2019/2020 (FAO, 2020)
For the raw data, we found that the genetic variance of sterility was significantly different from zero (P < 0.001), resulting in a heritability of 0.32 (Table 2). This clearly highlighted the need for data curation to avoid confounding effects of partial fertility on female seed yield in hybrid seed production
For a stable hybrid seed production with many plant genetic resources, the general combining ability effect of the females for seed yield is a good criterion for selection
Summary
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important crops for the world’s food supply, with an estimated production of around 762.2 million tons in 2019/2020 (FAO, 2020). To feed a world population of ∼9 billion, wheat yields must be increased by 1.8% annually by 2050 (Godfray et al, 2010; Ray et al, 2013). The average annual increase in wheat yields is currently 0.9% (Ray et al, 2013). Choice of Tester Lines in Wheat will pose challenges to global food production which might even be severed by socio-economic circumstances in developing countries (Godfray et al, 2010; Tilman et al, 2011). It was hypothesized that increasing agricultural production is a promising solution to minimize the growing threat of a global food crisis (Tilman et al, 2011; Ray et al, 2013). In wheat, varieties with a high yield potential and better tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses need to be bred
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