Synthetic hexaploid wheat, created from a cross between durum [Triticum turgidum L. (syn. Triticum durum Desf.)] and Aegiiops tauschii Coss., is a good source of new genes for bread wheat {Triticum aestivum L.) improvement. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the potential and performance of synthetic wheat in Texas. Ten elite primary synthetics from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIM MYT) were backorossed to two Texas cultivars, TAM 111 and TAM 112. Populations were bulked and "modified bulked" to advance generations. Yield-related agronomic traits were measured on the BCF^ and BCF^ populations across five Texas locations.

High‐molecular‐weight glutenin subunits (HMW‐GS) conferred by alleles at the, Glu‐B1, and Glu‐D1 loci confer unique end‐use quality properties for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The Glu‐B1al allele at the Glu‐B1 locus has not been widely used for cultivar development in the U.S. hard winter wheat region. We evaluated four groups of near‐isogenic lines (NILs) with different combinations of alleles at Glu‐B1, allele b (encoding subunits Bx7 + By8) or a1 (subunits Bx7OE + By8), and at Glu‐D1, allele a (subunits Dx2 + Dy12) or d (subunits Dx5 + Dy10), to assess direct and indirect effects attributed to the Glu‐B1al allele. Kernel characteristics, dough‐mixing properties, and agronomic traits were determined from field experiments in Colorado in 2012 (six environments) and 2013 (five environments). Lower grain hardness was observed in several environments for the Glu‐B1al/Glu‐D1d NIL group. Greater dough‐mixing strength (midline peak time) and mixograph tolerance (bandwidth 2 min after peak) were conferred by the Glu‐B1al allele, particularly when in combination with the Glu‐D1d allele. No consistent agronomic advantages or disadvantages were conferred by the Glu‐B1al allele, although significantly earlier heading was observed with the Glu‐B1al/Glu‐D1a NIL group. Deployment of the Glu‐B1al allele in U.S. hard winter wheat cultivars would appear to offer several end‐use quality attributes with little or no adverse effects on other characteristics.

S ynthetic hexaploid wheat is an artificial hybridization between tetraploid wheat and an accession of Aegilops tauschii (McFadden and Sears, 1946). Synthetics are a promising source of improvement for quantitative traits in wheat (del Blanco et al., 2001). Heritability and combining ability play a major role in predicting the performance of further generations. Heritability is the measure of genetic variability relative to phenotypic variability and allows the breeder to determine which traits are more likely to be passed on to progeny (Fehr, 1993). Heritability estimates of yield and yield components are useful to the breeder when attempting to increase yield. Because yield usually has low heritability, it has been suggested that selecting for one or more yield components, a method of indirect selection, could be more effective than direct selection for yield (