| Red gene associated with faster growth of roots in
hexaploid wheat B. C. JOSHI, D. SINGH and M. D. UPADHYA1) Division of Genetics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India SWAMINATHAN et al. (1968) reported the development of a complete series of monosomic lines in an Indian amber grained variety, Pb C591 of hexaploid wheat. This series was developed with the help of monosomic series of Chinese Spring which is red grained. Mono-5A of Pb C591 was observed to be red grained in which the gene responsible for the red color of the grain, located on chromosome 3D of Chinese, got translocated on to some chromosome of Mono-5A of Pb C591. VERUGHESE and SWAMINATHAN (1966) mutated the red gene of Sonora-64, a Mexican wheat, with gamma rays and produced amber grained "Sharbati Sonora" which resembled Sonora-64 in all the morphological traits except the grain color. In the seed material of Mono-5A of Pb C591 and the parent variety Pb C591 and that of Sonora-64 and Sharbati Sonora, the genetic background is the same except for the gene governing red color of the grain. Following three sets of replicated experiments with 100 seeds of each of the varieties and strains were sown in petri plates and the length of the main root was measured in mm. after 7 days of sowing. Identical conditions of temperature (25C) and watering were provided to all the germinating seeds. Experiment 1 : Mono-5A of Pb C591 and Pb C591. Experiment 2 : Sonora-64 and Sharbati Sonora. Experiment 3 : Mono-2A of Pb C591 and Pb C591. The mean length of main root of amber and red grained strains in the 3 experiments is given in Table 1. "Students T test" was applied to the mean differences in the root length in the 3 sets of experiments to test their significance. It was observed that the mean differences in the root length in the experiment 1 and 2 were statistically significant at 1 per cent level. This means that in experiment 1 and 2 in which the strains are genetically identical but for the gene responsible for the red grains, this gene is correlated with the faster rate of growth of the root. Experiment 3 is non significant showing that in the amber seeds of a monosomic line of Pb C591 (2A) and that of Pb C591 the rate of growth of the main root is the same. Literature Cited SWAMINATHAN, M. S., V. L. CHOPRA, B. C. JOSHI and D. SINGH 1968. Development of a monosomic series in an Indian wheat and isolation of nullisomic lines. W.I.S. 27 : 19-20. VERUGHESE, G. and M. S. SWAMINATHAN 1966. Changes in protein quantity and quality associated with a mutation for Amber grain colour in wheat. Curr. Sci. 35 : 18. (Received January 20, 1970) |
| 1) Central Potato Research Institute, Simla (H.P.), India. |