| Utilization of Iranian genetic material1) Hermann KUCKUCK Institute of Applied Genetics, Technical University, Hannover, Germany (West) This paper aims to demonstrate with the aid of some examples taken from my Iranian collections how germplasm of native populations and wild species may be evaluated and utilized in plant breeding programmes of the country concerned as well as in the research work in other countries through international cooperation. The routes of 6 excursions carried out in 1952-54 whilst I was acting as FAO-expert on cereal breeding in Iran (s. KUCKUCK 1956, FAO Report No. 517), are shown on a map (Fig 1). Samples from 500 localities were collected. The locations of the samples are pinpointed on this map by successive numbers 1-500. The names of the species grown and collected in the localities concerned at the time can be identified by different symbols on the map. A review is given in Table 1 to the extent in which the indigenous genetic material had been used in the wheat breeding programme of Iran in an attempt to develop uniform improved varieties by the pedigree method. This programme has resulted in the release of 4 commercial varieties (MUDRA 1960 and 1972). In Table 2 the locations of the populations from which these new cultivars were selected are specified; furthermore information is also given on the yielding capacity of the new cultivars, and on their average yield in comparison with the respective local populations and on the areas where they are commercially grown. These cultivars are superior in the high plateau of Iran-and that is the major arid region-to introduced Mexican varieties. |
| 1) Paper presented at the Eurarpia Conference on European and Regional Gene Banks, held on April 10-15 at Izmir Turkey. |
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