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Wheat Information Service
Number 72: 9-11 (1991)

Hybrid weakness in Triticum dicoccum Schubl.

S.
M. S. Tomar*, M. Kochumadhavan and P. N. N. Nambisan*

Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Regional Station Wellington-643 231, The Nilgiris, India


Introduction

Genetical traits such as hybrid necrosis and hybrid chlorosis are controlled by two independent genetic systems. In both kinds of hybrid weakness the F1 hybrids are lethal or semi-lethal resulting in gradual death or debility. Hybrid necrosis and hybrid chlorosis are frequently met with in inter- and intraspecific wheat crosses and are serious barriers to the transfer of genes in a planned hybridization programme. Hybrid necrosis is governed by two complementary genes, Ne1 and Ne2, located on chromosomes 5B and 2B respectively (Tsunewaki 1960) while hybrid chlorosis is controlled by two complementary genes Ch1 located on 2A (Hermsen & Waninge 1972) and Ch2 on 3D (Tsunewaki & Kihara 1961). The present investigations were carried out to identify the genes for necrosis and chlorosis in nine Indian varieties of Triticum dicoccum.


Materials and Methods

Nine varieties of Triticum dicoccum were crossed to two T. aestivum testers, C 306 (Ne1ne2ch1Ch2) and Sonalika (ne1Ne2ch1Ch2 ). The F1 hybrids and parents were raised in the greenhouse under optimum conditions of growth. The F1 hybrids were critically observed for the occurrence of hybrid necrosis and hybrid chlorosis and genotype of the parents with respect to the genes for necrosis and chlorosis were determined from the phenotype of the F1 hybrids.


Results and Discussion

The results obtained in the study are presented in
Table1. With the exception of HW 178-A and HW 489, all the varieties of T. dicoccum when crossed to C 306 (Ne1Ch2-carrier) produced strong chlorotic F1 hybrids, indicating that the varieties carry the Ch1 gene.The F1 hybrid plants between Sonalika (Ne2Ch2 -carrier) and four T. dicoccum varieties, namely, HW 43, HW 1018, HW 1046 and Khapli-53 Yellow expressed the symptoms of both necrosis and chlorosis simultaneously, indicating that these varieties also carry the gene Ne1. The variety HW 178-A produced normal and necrotic F1 offspring when crossed to C 306 and Sonalika respectively. Results indicate that the variety is non-carrier for chlorosis gene while it carries the gene Ne1. Normal F1 hybrids were obtained in the crosses of HW 489 with both the testers indicating that this variety is a non-carrier for both necrosis and chlorosis genes (ne1ne2ch1).


*Present address: Division of Genetics, IARI, New Delhi, India

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