Variation in pigment content of flour color in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

Variation in pigment content of the flour of bread wheats (Triticum aestivum L.) was studied in the progenies of F1 and F2 of three crosses and their reciprocals. Reciprocal differences in pigment content were observed in the F1 and F2 means. Low pigment content was found to be partially dominant or over dominant in the crosses studied. There was evidence of substantial mid-parent F1 heterosis in all crosses and betterparent F1 heterosis in three crosses. In the F2, heritability estimates were moderate to high. The F2 frequency distributions were not normal. Estimation of effective factor pairs indicated the presence of one or two major gene pairs involved in the expression of pigment content in the flour. Action of modifiers was also assumed in one cross and its reciprocal. A factorial approach to metrical character suggested that the F2 segregation ratios of low pigment content to high pigment content were 3:1, 15:1, 13:3 and 9:7 for the different crosses. Utilization of the findings in a wheat breeding program is briefly discussed.