| Development of D genome monosomic addition lines in
durum wheat cv Bijaga Yellow* R.R. HANCHINAL and J.V. GOUD Department of Agricultural Botany, Univ. of Agricultural Science, Dharwar campus, Karnataka, India Durum wheat is commonly used for the production of pasta products such as spaghetti, macaroni and noodles. However, durum flour is generally considered unsuitable for bread production, because of its weak mixing characteristics, low loaf volume, poor texture and yellow colour. These properties suggest that the D-genome is primarily responsible for the strong mixing characteristics and bread making ability typical of the hexaploid wheat (JOPPA et al. 1975). But the durum wheat is drought and frost tolerant, resistant to rusts and can be grown even under poor management conditions. If the quality characters can be improved, this wheat could become more popular when compared to common wheat. For this purpose, careful manipulation of chromosomes, is needed to redesign this species and to improve not only quality, but also the nutritive value. Further, the nutritional potential of both tetraploid and hexaploid wheat proteins as would be improved if lysine, the first limiting amino acid, could be increased as percent of the total protein. For this purpose, it is essential to identify and locate the structural and/or regulatory genes controlling the synthesis of protein and lysine. The studies made by MATTERN et al. (1979), BHATIA et al. (1977), SADANANDA et al. (1977) and BHAT & GOUD (1978) indicated that the presence of genes responsible for protein and lysine content to be located on D-genome chromosomes. So, it is essential to produce D-genome addition lines in durum wheat, so that the effect of a particular D-genome chromosome can be studied and quality and technological characters could be improved without affecting fertility. The present investigation deals with the breeding behaviour of D-genome monosomic addition lines (haplosomics) in durum wheat or Bijaga Yellow. Material and Methods The last seven monosomic lines of hexaploid wheat variety Pb C 591 (monosomic for D-genome) was crossed as female parent with T. durum, or Bijaga Yellow. In F1 generation the majority of the progenies were of two types. First being, plants with 34-chromosomes (14"+6') which are nothing but monopentaploids. The second being the plants with 35-chromosomes (14"+7') which are eupentaploids. In F1 generation, the plants with 34-chromosomes were selected and back crossed to Bijaga Yellow. In first back cross generation, the plants with 14"+1' were selected and others were discarded and such selected plants were again back crossed to Bijaga Yellow twice to study the breeding behaviour in each backcross generation. |
| * Part of the Ph. D. thesis submitted by the first author to the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore - 1980. |
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