Use of introgression winter bread wheat lines to increase the protein content in grain

Abstract

Introduction. The problem of genetic increase in the protein content is the most important scientific and practical objective in plant breeding. Interspecies hybridization is a tools to expand the genetic diversity of wheat, in particular with respect to the protein content. Several breeding lines with alien polygenic complexes for disease resistance, high 1000-grain weight, protein content and morphological characters were obtained using crosses of original introgressive lines, collection accessions, amphiploids and elite synthetics derived from Ae. tauschii with modern wheat varieties.Aim and objectives of research. To perform comparative breeding evaluation of newly developed introgressive lines; to determine correlations between some agronomic characters and economic features; to select large-seeded, high-protein donor lines with high performance and a set of valuable characters of alien origin.Material and methods. 736 introgressive lines of bread wheat of different generations, saturation degrees and origin were studied. Generally, they were derivatives with different alien characters from distant hybridization and properties from several winter bread wheat varieties (Odesskaya 267, Albatros, Nikoniya, Selianka, Kuyalnik, Panna, Gurt), which were crossed with two original recombinant introgressive lines, one collection accession, two original amphiploids derived from Elymus sibiricus L., and six amphiploids derived from Ae. tauschii. The field experiments were laid out in compliance with the conventional design of the breeding of self-pollinating crops. The endosperm consistency and SDS30 sedimentation index were measured by the methods developed in the Department of Genetic Basics of Breeding of PBGI– NCSCI; the protein content - by the Kjeldahl digestion on a Kjeltec-Auto 1030 analyzer; 1000-grain weight – by the conventional technique; the data were statistically processed by standard methods.Results and discussion. The results of the 2015/16-2017/18 trials distinguished several lines (IL910/16, IL911/16, IL914/16, IL940/16, and IL953/16) with a high relative protein content. They are of interest for transgressive breeding for large grain and increased protein content. In addition, promising breeding lines (E196/09, E2792/14, IL299/16, IL997/16, IL1073/16, IL1100/16, IL1161/16, IL334/17, and IL480/17) combining performance equal to or higher than that of the standard, with alien complexes of disease resistance, high protein content and xeromorphic morphological characters but without negative features of wild species, were singled out.Conclusions. The studied lines may be of interest for further breeding in the South of Ukraine, provided preservation of the alien gene complexes.