Genetic and Morpho-Agronomic Characterization of Sicilian Tetraploid Wheat Germplasm.

Angelo Sicilia,Michele Bizzini,Salvatore Luciano Cosentino,Carmelo Nicotra,Angela Roberta Lo Piero,Umberto Anastasi,Sebastiano Blangiforti,Stefania Montemagno,Alfio Spina

doi:10.3390/plants11010130

Angelo Sicilia, Michele Bizzini + Show 7 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11010130

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Abstract

Cereal landraces are a very valuable resource in contemporary agriculture. A renewed focus for breeding purposes could ameliorate some negative consequences of modern agriculture and conventional breeding, such as the loss of genetic diversity. One strategy combining molecular genotyping and characterization of morpho-agronomic traits related to productivity is proposed to assess a group of tetraploid wheat landraces named Bufala, historically cultivated in the mountain areas of Sicily and characterized by adaptability in terms of cold tolerance, ability to grow in marginal soils, weed competitiveness and resistance to diseases. A total of 55 SSR molecular markers were used to detect patterns of diversity in 30 rivet and durum wheat genotypes. Furthermore, phenotyping was then conducted for 8 morpho-agronomic traits. Discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC), STRUCTURE and phylogenetical analysis allowed to identify three groups, two of them genetically close and including both Bufala and Bufala-related rivet landraces. To the third group, old and more recent durum wheat varieties, constituting the outgroup, were assigned. Clustering was confirmed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Finally, a correlation analysis showed that Bufala genotypes are characterized by lower ear density, major ear length and later earing time compared with the other studied genotypes. The levels of diversity and population structure could be an important contribution to parent selection in tetraploid wheat breeding programs, as well as to germplasm conservation and management.

Highlights

IntroductionA renewed focus on wheat landraces could relieve some negative consequences of intensive agriculture and conventional breeding, such as the irrational and/or excessive use of auxiliary input, excessive homogeneity of cropping systems, loss of genetic diversity [6], and stagnation of yields in marginal cereal areas [7]
The grains were provided by Stazione Consorziale Sperimentale di Granicoltura per la Sicilia (Santo Pietro, Caltagirone, Catania, Italy), and came from tetraploid wheats grown in a field trial, laid out according to a randomized-block design, replicated three times, conducted during the 2018–2019 growing season in the experimental station sited in Vaccarizzo (Lat. 37,119,000◦ –Lon. 14,521,000◦ –316 m asl) (Catania), adopting a low input agronomic management technique consisting in 30 kg ha-1 N supply at sowing and no chemical weed control during the cropping cycle
A renewed focus on this germplasm for a new breeding approach could mitigate certain negative consequences of intensive agriculture and conventional breeding, such as the excessive use of chemical inputs, loss of genetic diversity due to the high crop homogeneity based on monoculture farming and the limited yield increase in marginal cereal areas

Summary

Introduction

A renewed focus on wheat landraces could relieve some negative consequences of intensive agriculture and conventional breeding, such as the irrational and/or excessive use of auxiliary input, excessive homogeneity of cropping systems, loss of genetic diversity [6], and stagnation of yields in marginal cereal areas [7]. This is functional for the definition of a plant ideotype suitable for low-input farming systems, mainly smallholder and organic farms [8].

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