Genetic variation of salt-stressed durum wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum Desf.) genotypes under field conditions and gynogenetic capacity

Publication date: Available online 1 December 2017 Source:Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Author(s): Olfa Ayed-Slama, Imen Bouhaouel, Zoubeir Chamekh, Youssef Trifa, Ali Sahli, Nadhira Ben Aissa, Hajer Slim-Amara Agriculture has new challenges against the climate change: the preservation of genetic resources and the rapid creation of new varieties better adapted to abiotic stress, specially salinity. In this context, the agronomic performance of 25 durum wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum Desf.) genotypes (nineteen landraces and six improved varieties), cultivated in two semi-arid regions in the center area of Tunisia, were assessed. These sites (Echbika, 2.2 g l−1; Barrouta, 4.2 g l−1) differ by their degree of salinity of the water irrigation. The results showed that most of the agronomic traits (e.g. spike per meter square, thousand kernels weight and grain yield) were reduced by salinity. Durum wheat landraces, Mahmoudi and Hmira, and improved varieties, Maali and Om Rabia showed the widest adaptability to different quality of irrigation water. Genotypes including Jneh Kotifa and Arbi were estimated as stable genotypes under adverse conditions. Thereafter, salt-tolerant (Hmira and Jneh Khotifa) and the most cultivated high-yielding (Karim, Razzak and Khiar) genotypes were tested for their gynogenetic ability to obtain haploids and doubled haploid lines. Genotypes with good induction capacity had not necessarily a good capacity of r...
Source: Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology - Category: Biotechnology Source Type: research