Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum Desf.) landraces and their potential for enhancing agro-physiological characteristics and stability performance in breeding programs

Abstract

Context Landraces are a potential source of genetic diversity and provide useful genetic resources to cope with the current and future challenges in crop breeding. Aims The main objectives of this study were to identify superior landraces with good levels of agro-physiological traits, and high mean yield and stability performance. Methods We evaluated a worldwide diversity panel of 196 durum wheat accessions originating from Iran and 17 other different countries along with four check varieties using an alpha-lattice design with two replications under drought and irrigated conditions in two cropping seasons. Key results The results showed that the variance due to genotype and environment for all measured traits; and genotype-by-environment interaction for grain yield were significant (P < 0.01). The genotype-by-traits (GT) biplot analysis revealed that the relationships of traits with grain yield were affected by environment, but some consistent correlations among studied traits were observed. Chlorophyll content, earliness and 1000-kernel weight positively correlated with mean yield under drought condition, whereas greenness index, plant height, days to heading and maturity positively correlated with yield under irrigated condition. The results verified that clustering pattern of durum diversity panel did not follow the grouping of accessions according to their geographic origins. Using the genotype plus genotype-by-environment (GGE) biplot method, accessions with high yield and stability performance were identified. Conclusions The results provide the possibility to select a subset of best accessions based on the traits studied, for further evaluations under drought and irrigated conditions. Implications The findings are useful for selective breeding for specific traits as well as for enhancing the genetic basis of the durum wheat breeding program.