Lines Of Cv Research Articles

Analysis of near-isogenic lines of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. van durum)

The effects of the genes for long glume (P), hairy glume, non-glaucousness, black glume and purple culm (Pc) on grain and biomass yield in near-isogenic (10 backcrosses) lines of durum wheat cv. LD222 were studied in a field experiment. Long glumes were associated with an increase in rachis length and a decrease in tillering, number of spikes per plant, spikelets per spike, days to heading, over all harvest index and yield. Glaucousness increased grain yield while purple culms reduced grain yield and harvest index. Glume pubescence did not show any significant effect on grain yield and harvest index despite a reduction in the number of tillers per plant. One source of black glumes did not have any significant effect on yield related characteristics while another source had a negative effect on them, indicating that the method employed herein determines the effect of short chromosomal regions rather than those of single genes. Plant height, culm length, 100 kernel weight, and above-ground plant weight were not affected significantly by any of the genes studied.

Protection against potato virus Y (PVY) in the field in potatoes transformed with the PVY P1 Gene

Lines of potato cv. Pito transformed with the P1 gene ofPotato virus Y (PVYo) in sense or antisense orientation were evaluated for resistance to PVY in the field in 1997 and 1998. The transgenic resistance fully protected the crop from infection with PVYo transmitted by aphids in both years. These plants were not resistant to the field isolates of the PVYN strain group, which is in agreement with our greenhouse experiments. Consequently, several transgenic lines produced higher yields than the nontransgenic cv. Pito plants. These results showed that the P1 gene-mediated resistance provides significant benefits under conditions were the incidence of infections and damage by PVYo are considerable.

Effect of Benzimidazole on Compatibility in the Wheat-Leaf Rust System

Leaf segments, placed on benzimidazole solution were used to evaluate wheat samples for resistance to leaf rust. Most collection samples and somaclonal variants with low types of reaction at benzimidazole concentration 60ppm were susceptible to the disease at lower concentrations (0, 15, 30 ppm). Isogenic lines of cv. Thatcher with non-effective juvenile genes Lr for resistance were susceptible at 60 ppm concentration, but lines with genes Lr 3bg, 13, 30 were resistant at 80 ppm concentration of benzimidazole and lines with genes Lr 2a, 15, 16, 18, 26, 23 differentially interacted with pathogen clones. Results of resistance evaluation in somaclones, obtained from one variety, and in isogenic lines showed, that type of reaction changes at different concentrations of benzimidazole is connected with effect of the chemical to gene(s) for resistance expression and not to overall plant genotype. If this assumption is correct, evaluation of wheat resistance to leaf rust at different concentrations of benzimidazole may be useful determining resistance.

Selection of the persistent, seed-retaining cultivar, Australian II, within the gene pool of Phalaris aquatica L. cv. Australian

Crosses were made between Australian and its seed-retaining, but inbred derivative, Uneta, to develop a vigorous, grazing-tolerant, seed-retaining phalaris cultivar similar to cv. Australian. Forty-two half-sib families from seed-retaining F 2 plants were sown in replicated plots near Orange, NSW, Canberra, ACT, and Hamilton, Victoria, in 1993. These were compared with 9 different accessions of cv. Australian, 1 certified line of cv. Uneta (duplicated), and the winter-active cultivars, Holdfast, Sirosa and Sirolan. Heavy, continuous grazing by sheep was imposed at each site from autumn, 1994, a drought year at Canberra. Seedling density was lower (Canberra site) and above-ground seedling dry weight (Canberra and Orange sites) was higher (P<0.05) in the winter-active group than in the Australian-type controls and half-sib families in 1993. At Canberra and Orange, the winter-active cultivars flowered about the same time as Australian and Uneta, but the half-sib families flowered 6–8 days later. The percentage of the ground surface occupied by phalaris tillers as estimated by point quadrats was similar in the families, Australian and Uneta during the winters of 1994 and 1995, but the families had denser stands in 1996. Swards of the winter-active cultivars were sparser (P<0.05) than those of the others, especially at Hamilton and Orange, but the winter-active cultivars yielded more, after a 6-week break from grazing, than the other lines at Canberra (P<0.05) and Hamilton (not significant) in 1995. Based on these data, 8 half-sib families with high herbage yield and high ground cover in 1995 were selected. These families flowered 1 week later than Australian, and to correct this, a ninth, early flowering genotype was added to form a new cultivar, Australian II. The potential role of this cultivar as a drought hardy, strongly persistent, grazing tolerant, high ground cover, seed-retaining replacement for cv. Australian in cooler regions is discussed.

Production and characterization of “second generation” somatic hybrids derived from protoplast fusion between interspecific somatohaploid and dihaploidSolanum tuberosum L.

Protoplasts were fused to produce somatic hybrids between a triploid (2n=3x=32-34) interspecific somatohaploid betweenSolanum brevidens Phil. andS. tuberosum L., and a dihaploid (2n=2x=24) anther-derived line ofS. tuberosum cv. Van Gogh. A total of 265 plants were regenerated from protoplast fusion derived calli and their hybridity was verified using fusion partner specific RAPD markers. These “second generation” somatic hybrids were aneuploid pentaploids (2n=5x=51-65) with a 2C DNA content ranging from 3.36 to 4.43 pg, which corresponded to the sum of the 2C values of each of the fusion partners (somatohaploid: 2.22 pg; and the dihaploid line of cv. Van Gogh: 1.87 pg). Most of the “second generation” somatic hybrids were vigorous, but variable in morphology. They were extremely resistant to PLRV and they had tolerance to PVY infection derived from the somatohaploid fusion partner. Even though most of the “second generation” hybrids tuberized, the tuber morphology was variable and most were poorly shaped. InErwinia soft rot resistance tests, the tubers showed higher level of resistance than the tetraploidS. tuberosum cultivars, the dihaploidS. tuberosum fusion partners and the hexaploid somatic hybrids betweenS. brevidens andS. tuberosum. The “second generation” somatic hybrids were all male sterile and failed to produce berries or seeds.

The Ambivalence of the Barley Mlo Locus: Mutations Conferring Resistance Against Powdery Mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei) Enhance Susceptibility to the Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe grisea

Recessive alleles of the barley Mlo locus confer non-race-specific resistance against the powdery mildew fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh). Recently the Mlo gene has been isolated and it was suggested that the Mlo product is a negative regulator of cell death. Thus, loss of function can precondition cells to a higher responsiveness for the onset of multiple defense functions. Here, we document an enhanced susceptibility of barley mlo mutants to the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea. The disease phenotype is independent of the barley cultivar in which the mlo allele has been introgressed and occurs in equal amounts in barley backcross lines of cv. Ingrid carrying the mlo-1, mlo-3, or mlo-5 allele. Ror genes, which are required for the full expression of mlo resistance in barley against Bgh, do not affect the specific mlo-mediated phenotype observed after M. grisea infection. Formation of an effective papilla restricts blast development in epidermal cells of Mlo plants. In contrast, papillae are mostly penetrated in mlo mutants and, as a consequence, the fungus spreads into adjacent mesophyll cells. Both wild-type plants and mlo mutants did not differ in perception of a purified elicitor derived from M. grisea. Thus, we hypothesize that a functional Mlo protein is a prerequisite for penetration resistance of barley to fungal pathogens like M. grisea. The benefit of mlo alleles for durable resistance in barley and a proposed role of mlo-type-mutations in rice are discussed.

Microdissection of chromosome 7B of common wheat and cloning of low-copy specific DNA sequences

The 7B chromosome of common wheat was microdissected from pollen mother cells of the 78 monosomic line of common wheat cv. Chinese Spring (CS). After proteinase K and DNA topoisomerase I treatments, the isolated chromosomes were subjected to 1–3 rounds of DOP-PCR amplification, which produced continuous DNA fragments ranging from 150 to 700 bp. Genomic Southern hybridization confirmed that the PCR products were originated from the wheat genome. Cloning of portion (>200 bp) of the 3rd round DOP-PCR products (50 μL could generate about 20 000 recombinant clones. Characterization of 50 randomly chosen clones indicated that 21 clones produced discrete PCR products with the sue of 240–600 bp. Dot-blot hybridization showed that among the 21 clones, 11 (∼55%) were of low-copy nature while 10 (∼45%) were repetitive. Southern hybridization with the complete set of the CS “nullisomic-tetrasomic (NT)” lines demonstrated that all the 6 low-copy clones were specific to either chromosome 78 or the 7th homoeologous group, whereas the 3 arbitrarily chosen repetitive clones were non-specific, disperse sequences.

Variations in the Gliadin Composition in Immature Embryo Culture-derived Somaclonal Lines of Durum Wheat.

Variations in the gliadin composition in the endosperm were studied in R4 somaclonal lines that were derived from immature embryo callus cultures of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.). Electrophoregrams of gliadin polypeptides were analyzed in 10 somaclonal lines of cv. ‘Zagorka’ and seven lines of cv. ‘Progress’ and compared with the two parental cultivars. The analysis showed that the parental cultivars were both composed of individuals with different genotypes. Among the somaclonal lines, very high frequencies of variants which showed polypeptide patterns different from those of the parental cultivars were detected. The variations were characterized by the appearance and/or disappearance of particular polypeptides. Some variations were fixed in homozygous conditions but in a majority of somaclonal lines the variations remained in heterozygous conditions.

Inheritance and expression of transgenes in T2 and T3 generations of Lotus corniculatus transformed using Agrobacterium tumefaciens

The inheritance and expression of the reporter gene uidA, encoding β-glucuronidase (GUS), was previously analysed in the T1 generation of 25 independent transformed lines of Lotus corniculatus cv. Leo. In the work reported here, GUS activity in various tissues of seven of these lines was tested in the T2 generation. Four representative lines were chosen for more detailed study in the T3 generation. Lines 25 and 38 had multiple, independently segregating transgene inserts; lines 24 and 39 appeared to transmit one segregating transgene insert to their T1 progeny, although transgene expression was low and was detected in fewer seedlings than expected in line 39. The uidA gene was inherited and expressed in seedlings of T1, T2 and T3 generations of all four lines. In all lines, transgene expression varied between tissues, with more embryos than seedlings having detectable GUS activity. Studies in the T2 generation showed that use of transgenic plants as female or male parents altered the frequency of expression of the transgene in progeny. By contrast, in the T3 generation the use of transgenic plants as female or male parents did not effect either frequency of transmission, or expression of the transgene, in any of the four lines. Transgene inheritance was also similar among individual pods within flower heads and between individual flower heads.

キク花首曲がりの組織構造と「秀芳の力」におけるその発生率の系統間差

キク'秀芳の力'の電照抑制栽培で発生する花首曲がり発生の仕組みを明らかにするため, 花首曲がりを生じた茎の組織構造の観察を行った.また, '秀芳の力'の系統間による花首曲がりの発生程度の差について検討した.1. キク'秀芳の力'で発生する花首曲がりには, 発蕾後の頂芽の花首が一方向に曲がる場合(花首曲がり症)と, 頂芽の花首と最上位の腋芽の花首とが癒着し, 癒着した方向に花首が曲がる場合(癒着症)の2種類のタイプがあった.2. 花首曲がり症の茎では, 止め葉付近から上位の維管束組織にねじれや, 断片的に亀裂した構造が確認された.また癒着症では, 互いの皮層組織が癒着しており, この皮層組織の内部に, 通常の皮層細胞とは異なる小片細胞の集合体や維管束組織の断片が点在していた.このような維管束組織の形成異常が花首曲がりの直接的な要因と考えられた.3. 明期25℃, 暗期15℃で12時間日長とした室内における頂芽と最上位の腋芽の花芽の発達および腋芽の伸長経過を調べた.頂芽では, 短日開始約4日後から生長点が肥大を始め, その後総苞形成期, 小花形成期等を経て, 約3週間後には発蕾が認められた.それに対して最上位の腋芽では, 短日開始約9日後から生長点の肥大が始まり, 4∿5日のずれで発達し, 短日開始20日後の小花形成期頃から花首の急速な伸長を開始した.このことから, 花首曲がりは短日開始1週間後から3週間後の期間に決定されると推定された.4. 福岡県農業総合試験場で保存している'秀芳の力'26系統について, 電照抑制12月出し栽培を行い, 切り花時の花首曲がり角度を調査した.各系統の平均花首曲がり角度は, 最低10.4度(系統No.1)から最高23.9度(系統No.225)の範囲に含まれ, 明らかに系統間差が認められた.花首曲がり角度と収穫時の平均節間長(切り花長を葉数で割った値)との間には正の相関(r=0.43)が認められた.

A Third Allele at the Soybean dt1 Locus

Two loci (Dt1 and Dt2) affect stem termination in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Both of these alleles have been backcrossed into near‐isogenic lines (hereafter referred to as isolines) of the indeterminate cv. Clark (Dt1Dt1 dt2dt2). The semi‐determinate isoline (Dt1Dt1 Dt2Dt2) is ≈ 75% the height of Clark and the determinate isoline (dt1dt1 dt2dt2) is ≈ 50% as tall as Clark. Recently, determinate Clark isolines have also been developed with the cv. Peking and Soysota as donor parents. These lines were similar in height to the semi‐determinate isoline. The objective of this research was to determine the genetic control of this new phenotype. The gene controlling the tall determinate phenotype was found to be identical in Peking and Soysota and allelic to dt1 The gene symbol dt1‐t has been approved by the Soybean Genetics Committee. Several leaf and stem characters were studied in the stem termination isolines. Although dt1‐tdt1‐t and Dt2Dt2 phenotypes are similar in plant height, dt1‐tdt1‐t is more similar to dt1dt1 when considering leaf and stem traits at the top of the plant.

Photosynthetic oxygen evolution by fourCoffea arabicagenotypes subjected to a dehydration/rehydration cycle

SummaryPhotosynthetic oxygen evolution by eight month old plants of the Coffea arabica hybrids H-421 (cv. Yellow Catuai × cv. Timor Hybrid) and H-430 (cv. Red Catuai × cv. Timor Hybrid), a Catimor progeny, and one line of cv. Red Catuai was followed polarographically during a dehydration/rehydration cycle. Fully hydrated plants showed a maximum photosynthetic rate (Amax) in the range of 20.6 to 34.6 µmol m−2 s−1 and an apparent quantum yield of 0.074 to 0.086. During dehydration Amax steadily decreased as the water potential declined. Changes were not found among the slope and the intercept values, with the exception of the slope value of hybrid H-421. The recovery was regained 96.0, 96.5, 85.0 and 78.0 h after rehydration for the genotypes Catimor, H-430, Catuai and H-421, respectively. In response to stress, the mesophyll resistance restricts carbon dioxide fixation, with after-effects of variable duration.

Can genotypes of soybean (Glycine max) selected for nitrate tolerance provide good “models” for studying the mechanism of nitrate inhibition of nitrogenase activity?

In soybeans (Glycine max L. Merr.), high levels of soil nitrate inhibit N2 fixation, and nitrate‐tolerant symbioses have been identified within a chemically mutagenized line of cv. Bragg denoted nts382 and within the line K466, a genotype representative of a number of Korean soybean cultivars. The genotypes nts382 and K466 were examined to see if they could be used as a model system for studying the mechanism responsible for the short‐term (i.e. 3‐day) inhibition of specific nitrogenase activity, especially the mechanism behind the greater O2 limitation of nodule metabolism that is characteristic of nitrate inhibition of N2 fixation in soybean. In nts382, total nitrogenase activity (TNA = H2 production in Ar:O2) was inhibited to a lesser degree (48% of control) relative to Bragg (30% of control), and the nitrate‐treated symbioses showed less of an O2 limitation of nodule metabolism in nts382 than in Bragg. However, the relative proportion of O2 limitation to the total nitrate inhibition was similar (40 and 41%) in nts382 and Bragg, respectively. Therefore, the nts382 symbioses may be useful in elucidating the general mechanism for down‐regulation of nitrogenase activity in soybean, but would not be a useful model system for studying the control of O2‐limited metabolism following nitrate exposure. The effects of nitrate on TNA and on the degree of O2 limitation of nodule metabolism were the same in K466 and a reference cultivar Maple Arrow. Consequently, the tolerance of K466 to nitrate reported previously was attributed to the ability of this symbiosis to maintain nodule biomass in the presence of nitrate, not to any ability to maintain specific nitrogenase activity in the presence of nitrate.

Response of Transgenic Cucumber and Carrot Plants Expressing Different Chitinase Enzymes to Inoculation with Fungal Pathogens

Three lines of cucumber cv. Endeavor, each transformed with a chitinase gene originating from petunia (acidic), tobacco (basic), or bean (basic) using Agrobacterium tumefaciens, were compared with nontransgenic plants for response to inoculation with Alternaria cucumerina, Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum lagenarium, and Rhizoctonia solani. In both growth chamber studies using whole plants and in vitro inoculations conducted with detached leaves, no differences in disease development (rate and final levels) were detected between transgenic and nontransgenic plants. Carrot cvs. Nanco and Golden State transformed with two chitinase genes (from petunia and tobacco) were also evaluated for response to inoculation with the pathogens Alternaria radicini, B. cinerea, R. solani, Sclerotium rolfsii, and Thielaviopsis basicola. A detached petiole inoculation method was used to compare nontransgenic and transgenic plants. The rate and final extent of lesion development after 7 days were significantly (P = 0.01) lower in the transgenic plants expressing the tobacco (basic) chitinase gene upon inoculation with B. cinerea, R. solani, and S. rolfsii, but not in plants expressing the petunia (acidic) chitinase gene. There were no detectable differences with A. radicini or T. basicola in either group of transgenic punts. These results demonstrate the in planta efficacy of a basic chitinase protein in providing enhanced tolerance of carrot to three fungal pathogens; however, the efficacy of chitinase gene transformation as a strategy for enhancing disease tolerance in plants can be influenced by the plant species used, the type of chitinase protein expressed, and the characteristics of the fungal pathogen.

The inheritance and chromosomal location of a gene for long glume in durum wheat

Several near-isogenic lines of durum wheat cv. LD222 have been developed. These include a near-isogenic line carrying gene P and designated P-LD222. The P gene from Triticum polonicum determines a long empty outer glume. The objective of this study was to determine the inheritance and chromosomal location of the P gene. To determine the inheritance, P-LD222 was crossed to two chlorina mutants and to a near-isogenic line for the purple culm trait, Pc-LD222. Linkage of the P gene with the mutated gene in chlorina mutant CDd6 indicated that the P gene was located on chromosome 7A. P-LD222 was also crossed with durum cultivar Langdon (LDN) and the LDN D genome substitution lines, LDN 7D(7A) and LDN 7D(7B). Segregation for the long glume trait in the F2 of LDN/P-LD222 and LDN 7D(7B)/P-LD222 was normal (3:1) and indicated P gene was not on chromosome 7B. Significant deviation from a 3:1 in the F2 of LDN 7D(7A)/P-LD222 confirmed the location of P on chromosome 7A, as indicated by the linkage analysis.

Chromosome painting in plants: in situ hybridization with a DNA probe from a specific microdissected chromosome arm of common wheat.

We report here on the successful painting of a specific plant chromosome within its own genome. Isochromosomes for the long arm of chromosome 5 of the wheat B genome (5BL) were microdissected from first meiotic metaphase spreads of a monoisosomic 5BL line of the common wheat Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring. The dissected isochromosomes were amplified by degenerate oligonucleotide-primed PCR in a single tube reaction. The amplified DNA was used as a complex probe mixture for fluorescent in situ hybridization on first meiotic metaphase spreads of lines carrying 5BL as a distinctive marker. Hybridization signals were observed, specifically, along the entire 5BL. In some of the cells, labeling was also detected in two bivalents, presumably those of the 5B "homoeologues" (partial homologues) found in common wheat (5A and 5D). The probe also revealed discrete domains in tapetal nuclei at interphase, further supporting the probe's high specificity. These data suggest that chromosome and homoeologous group-specific sequences are more abundant in 5BL than genome-specific sequences. Chromosome-painting probes, such as the one described here for 5BL, can facilitate the study of chromosome evolution in polyploid wheat.

Induction of Several Antioxidant Enzymes in the Selection of a Salt-Tolerant Cell Line of Pisum sativum

Summary Using the in vitro culture technique, we selected a cell line of Pisum sativum cv. Challis adapted to 85.5 mM NaCl. The possible relationships between the activity of enzymes related to oxygen metabolism and the salt adaptation of pea calli were analysed. The induction of two new Cu,Zn-SOD isozymes in salt-resistant calli was observed. Peroxidase activity was greatly increased in selected calli and catalase did not show a significant variation. The activity changes observed are discussed in terms of their possible relevance to pea calli adaptation to salt-stress.

Transfer of resistance to potato leafroll virus, potato virus Y and potato virus X from Solarium brevidens to S. tuberosum through symmetric and designed asymmetric somatic hybridisation

SummaryResistance to potato leafroll virus (PLRV), potato virus Y (PVYo) and potato virus X (PVX) was studied in symmetric and asymmetric somatic hybrids produced by electrofusion between Solanum brevidens (2n=2×=24) and dihaploid S. tuberosum (2n=2×=24), and also in regenerants (B‐hybrids) derived through protoplast culture from a single somatic hybrid (chromosome number 48). All of the somatic hybrids between 5. brevidens and the two dihaploid lines of potato cv. Pito were extremely resistant to PLRV and PVYoand moderately resistant to PVX, irrespective of their chromosome number and ploidy level (tetraploid or hexaploid). Most (56%) of the asymmetric hybrids of irradiated S. brevidens and the dihaploid line of potato cv. Pentland Crown (PDH40) had high titres of PVYosimilar to those of PDH40, whereas the rest of the hybrids had PVYotitres less than a tenth of those in PDH40. Three B‐hybrids had a highly reduced chromosome number (27, 30 and 34), but were however as resistant to PLRV, PVYoand PVX as 5. brevidens. Two asymmetric hybrids and one B‐hybrid were extremely resistant to PLRV but susceptible to both PVY and PVX. The results suggested that resistance to PLRV in 5. brevidens is controlled by a gene or genes different from those controlling resistance to PVY and PVX, and the gene(s) for resistance to PVY and PVX are linked in S. brevidens.

Combining mutations for the two homoeologous pairing suppressor genes Ph1 and Ph2 in common wheat and in hybrids with alien Triticeae

Two lines of common wheat cv. Chinese Spring, carrying simultaneous mutations for the two major homoeologous pairing wheat suppressor genes Ph1 and Ph2 have been developed and their pairing behaviour compared with that of the ph1b mutant of the same cultivar. Besides carrying the ph1b mutation, the first double mutant line lacked the chromosome arm pair 3DS, containing Ph2, whereas the second had a euploid constitution and carried the ph1b allele on 3DS. Hybrids of Aegilops variabilis and Secale cereale with mono-5B (ph1b) and 3D/3DL plants have also been obtained, where the 3D versus 3DL presence marked the two pairing alternatives (ph1b only and ph1b + Ph2−, respectively). In the wheat x Ae. variabilis hybrids, an 8% increase in total chromosome pairing, almost entirely ascribable to an increment of multivalent associations, was observed in the 2n = 34 + t plants with respect to their 2n = 35 sibs. The number of bivalents showed no significant difference, but a tendency towards a decrease, which was significant for the rod types, was exhibited by the Ph2− plants. A weaker but similar effect was observed in wheat itself. The different mutants, in fact, showed a similar percentage of paired chromosomes but varied in their pairing pattern. A significant reduction in the number of bivalents, owing to a decrease of the rings, only partly compensated for by an increase of the rods, was observed in the double mutants. They also exhibited an increase in the multivalent fraction, which was significant for the most complex associations. In both common wheat and its hybrids with Ae. variabilis the addition of a ph2 mutation thus seems to reinforce the ph1b effect in promoting homoeologous pairing. On the other hand, such an effect was not noticed in the wheat x S. cereale hybrids. However, possible quantitative differences could have been masked by the considerable plant-to-plant variation and potential differences in relative incidence of wheat-wheat versus wheat-rye associations were undetectable in the Feulgen-stained materials analyzed.

Near-isogenic lines of durum wheat: their development and plant characteristics

The effect of specific plant characteristics on the grain and biomass yield of durum wheat can be accurately determined by using isogenic lines, which, however, were not usually available. This study reported the effects of long glume, glaucousness, glume pubescence, black glume and purple culm on the yield and its associated characteristics in near-isogenic lines of durum wheat cv. LD222, which were developed by continuous backcrossing. The long glume trait which resulted in a large photosynthetic area did not enhance yield. Increased glume size associated with the P gene tended to increase the main culm dominance, characterized such as vigorous main culm and weak tillers, and plant height, but to reduce tillering and spike number. Consequently, grain yield and harvest index declined. Under the adequate water supplying condition of the present study, the glaucous trait was beneficial for grain yield. The trait of glume pubescence did not excert any significant effect on the yield related characteristics in the LD222 background. The traits of black glume and purple culm reduced the number of spikes per unit area and the number of kernels per unit area.