Comparison of doubled haploid lines and their mid-generation progenitors in forage and dual-purpose triticales under greenhouse hydroponic conditions

Abstract

A doubled haploid method (DH) has been used to rapidly advance generations intriticale, and selections then made for high yielding homozygous lines. This study aimed at comparing the forage performance of DH populations produced from the BC1F1, TC1F1 and F2 generations with superior mid-generation progenies (BC1F3,TC1F3 and F4) derived from field selection. One hundred and sixty eight DH lines derived from anther culture of eight populations were used. The results of analysis of variance for plant weight (PW), and dry matter yield (DM) of triticale lines developed by the method of doubled haploidy and field selections showed that the differences between the two methods were not significant. Differences among the three type crosses(BC1F3, TC1F3, F4/BCF∞, TCF∞ and F∞), method × cross interaction, and among populations within methods × cross were significant for PW and DM. Unlike forage characters, no significant differences were obtained for grain yield (GY) in all sources of variations. However, DH lines generally had wider ranges for PW, DM, GY and total biomass (TB) than lines derived from field selections. The observations of higher forage and grain performances of several DH lines compared to their corresponding field-derived populations show that the forage and dual-purpose breeding of triticale DH lines by means of hydroponics and anther culture of individual-plant selections in early generation under greenhouse conditions is highly beneficial.