Genealogical Analysis in the Czech Spring Wheat Collection and its Use for the Creation of Core Collection

Abstract

A spring wheat collection of the Czech gene bank included altogether 3270 original accessions in 2005; among them 2123 accessions with pedigree were analyzed using the construction of genetic profiles and subsequent calculation of Renkonen similarity indexes. Genetic diversity was estimated by Shannon diversity index. Subsequently we calculated cluster analysis using coefficients of parentage and in addition, we selected representatives of particular clusters for a core collection. Accessions of the whole analysed set of spring wheat (2123) were progenies of 929 original ancestors and diversity index within the set was H = 4.17. In the selected core set we can trace 718 ancestors and the diversity index is H' = 4.82. The selected core set is composed of 645 accessions (i.e. 30.4% of the whole set) and it represents 77.3% of genetic diversity in the whole set. The diversity between clusters did not decrease in the core set, which shows the representativeness of selected core accessions. Genealogical analysis provided useful information for the choice of cultivars to a core collection. However, pedigree analysis has to be complemented by other generally applicable approaches such as the use of molecular markers, morphological and agronomical characters. The analysis can also provide valuable information for breeders and researchers.