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Discussion

As described above, T. aestivum var. spelta differs from the four special Chinese hexaploid wheat landraces by one to two pairs of chromosomes, and the D genome in these four Chinese landraces were more primitive than the D genome of T. aestivum var. spelta. These results reveal that the four special Chinese hexaploid wheat landraces may originate independently and later than this T. aestivum var. spelta.

Based on the results of this study, the four special Chinese landraces may be classified into two groups. The first group is composed of TW, YH and SW (which is represented by CS). Members in this group have similar genomes. Riley et al (1967) discovered that the A, B and D genomes of CS were structurally unchanged relative to A and B genomes of T. turgidum var. dicoccoides and the D genome of Ae. tauschii Cosson respectively. The present study showed that the A, B and D genomes in TW, YH and SW were as primitive as those of CS. Therefore, they might be derived from the same progenitor and thus may be grouped together and called "Chinese Spring group". In this group, TW has some wild, primitive characters such as fragile spike, and its D genome is closer to the D genome of Ae. tauschii Cosson than the D genomes of other members. Therefore, TW might originate from cross between T. turgidum and Ae. tauschii at the middle portion of the Yellow River Valley and thus be the progenitor of this group. It is possible that the ancestor hybrid derivatives were later introduced into Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibetan area and envolved into YH and SW through natural and human selection.

Xinjiang Rice Wheat composes the second group. The present study showed that XR differs from the CS group by two pairs of chromosomes. Our observation also indicated that one of the two chromosomes may be chromosome 6B. In their analysis of XR with CS ditelosomics, Chen et al (1988) pointed out that it was the B genome that differed between these two landraces. It seems that it is not the D genome chromosome, as suggested by Yao et al (1983), but the B genome chromosomes that differ between these two landraces. XR also differs from SP by two chromosomes. Chen et al (1988) reported that there was little difference between the D genomes of XR, TW, YH and CS. It might indicate that the D genome of XR may also be primitive. The present study reconfirmed the results of Riley et al (1967) that SP differed from Ae. tauschii by one pair of D genome chromosome. The present study also showed that XR differs from SP by one to two pairs of chromosomes. Therefore, XR might not originate from a hybrid between T. turgidum L. var. polonicum and the Chinese Spring group nor evolve from T. aestivum var. spelta as suggested by Chen (1985). Instead, XR might be derived from a hybrid between Ae. tauschii and an emmer wheat in which the B genome had changed. From the viewpoint of morphology, this emmer wheat may be T. turgidum L. var. polonicum.


Acknowledgements

The authors thank very much Dr. Yang Yen for his careful reading and helpful assistance in the preparation of the manuscript.


References

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