Abstract
If genetic gains in wheat yield are to be achieved in today’s breeding, increasing the genetic variability of cultivated genotypes is an essential requisite to meet. To this aim, alien gene transfer through chromosome engineering (CE) is a validated and sound strategy. Attempts to incorporate more than one alien segment into cultivated wheat have been rare, particularly for tetraploid durum wheat. Here, we present the agronomic and quality performance of the first successful CE-mediated multiple introgression into the latter species. By assembling into 7AL, 3BS, and 1AS arms of a single genotype homoeologous segments of Thinopyrum ponticum 7el1L, Aegilops longissima 3SlS, and Triticum aestivum 1DS arms, respectively, we have stacked several valuable alien genes, comprising Lr19+Sr25+Yp (leaf and stem rust resistance and a gene increasing semolina yellowness), Pm13 (powdery mildew resistance), and Gli-D1/Glu-D3 (genes affecting gluten properties), respectively. Advanced progenies of single, double, and triple recombinants were field-tested across three years in a typical durum wheat growing area of central Italy. The results showed that not only all recombinants had normal phenotype and fertility, but also that one of the triple recombinants had the highest yield through all seasons compared with all other recombinants and control cultivars. Moreover, the multiple introgressions enhanced quality traits, including gluten characteristics and semolina yellow index. The presence of effective disease resistance genes confers additional breeding value to the novel and functional CE products, which can greatly contribute to crop security and safety.
Highlights
Durum wheat (Triticum durum var. durum, 2n = 4x = 28, AB genomes) is a major staple crop in the Mediterranean Basin, where its cultivation largely replaced that of tetraploid emmer, T. dicoccum, by the first millennium B.C. [1]
The results showed that all recombinants had normal phenotype and fertility, and that one of the triple recombinants had the highest yield through all seasons compared with all other recombinants and control cultivars
The 2015 and 2017 seasons were typically very hot and dry in the period from heading to harvest; yet in these years, events of sudden temperature falls were observed around anthesis, which could have had some negative impact on spike fertility [64,65,66]
Summary
Durum wheat is mostly used for pasta making, but it is the raw material for producing other traditional foods, mostly typical of Mediterranean countries, such as flat breads, couscous, and bulgur. The current re-discovery of traditional foods on one hand, and, on the other hand, the new consumption habits of the growing urban populations, in Asian and African developing countries [6,7,8], are boosting the popularity and demand for wheat- and . Strong value chains for such products, already in place in traditional durum wheat growing countries and interestingly emerging for unconventional territories and markets [5], lead to the forecast of an increase in the global durum wheat cropping over the current 5–6% of total wheat production [10,11].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
