Wheat Information Service
Number 96: 33-34 (2003)
Genetic stock

Utilization of genetic stock for quality attributes in Indian wheat breeding programs

R.K Gupta, Vinay Mahajan* and NVPRG Rao

Directorate of Wheat Research, Karnal 132 001 Haryana, India

National Genetic Stock Nursery (NGSN), in its sixth year as "Suggested Crossing Block" was provided to nearly 36 centers in Indian peninsula during rabi 2001-02. It is an important source of confirmed genetic stocks for characters like biotic and abiotic stresses, yield components, superior agronomic bases and quality attributes. In last few years there is growing concern to improve the quality of the wheat to make it more competent in international market. Among various steps, identification of confirmed genetic stock for quality characters and providing them through NGSN is a step forward. This is to supplement the crossing block of wheat breeders of the country with genotypes equipped with characters like high protein, hectoliter weight, sedimentation value, beta-carotene etc.

In the absence of reliable genetic sources for quality parameters in the past, the wheat breeders could not initiate a target-oriented qualitym-breeding program. In 1998, the wheat quality scientists at DWR, Karnal were able to select and categorize some genotypes from various national trials which were superior for quality attributes like protein (%), hectoliter weight, etc., which can be used as a genetic stocks for quality breeding programs.

Since 1998-99, 69 confirmed genetic sources superior for quality attributes were made available to wheat breeding programs for quality through NGSN CountryWide (Fig. 1). Among them 31 were bread wheat and 38 were durum. These genetic stocks were superior for quality parameters in a superior agronomic base thereby making it more useful to a wheat breeder to emphasis for both grain yield as well as quality. The data so generated was published in the form of Progress Report, Vol II, Genetic Resources every year (Mahajan 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002; Mahajan and Ganga Rao 2000, 2001).

Twenty-six centers had utilized the quality lines at least once in last four years. Among them Dharwar, Niphad, Pune, Kanpur and Burdwan had utilized the quality lines in all these years. Since 1999-2000 crop season, Akola, Hisar, Ranchi and Ludhiana had also initiated the selection among quality genetic stocks. The utilization of quality genetic stocks was either through hybridization or direct selection. The utilization of quality genetic stocks was primarily through hybridization during 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02 was 9.0, 11.9, 9.4 and 13.6 percent, respectively (Fig. 2). The direct selection of quality genetic stocks across the zones was reported during 2000-01 (1.0%) and 2001-02 (3.9%).

Due to growing awareness of quality parameters and their importance in breeding programs, the utilization of genetic stocks is constantly increasing from 14 centers (1998-99) to 19 centers (2001-02). This emphasizes the need to include more genetic stocks in NGSN thus focusing on future needs of wheat breeders.

The inclusion of the wheat genetic stocks has been an important step forward to support the wheat-breeding program of the country. In order to have a concentrated product oriented approach the group had decided to suggest the genetic stocks more suitable for different products like Chapati, bread, biscuits etc.