Adaptive Properties and Breeding Value of F3 Hybrid Combinations of Winter Bread Wheat for Spike Productivity Traits

Abstract

The strategic objective of the modern breeding process is to create new highly adaptive varieties with high grain quality and reliable genetic potential for resistance to adverse abiotic and biotic factors. Successful breeding of disease-resistant plants should be based on fundamental knowledge of the genetic nature of host plant resistance and pathogen virulence. Among the complex of the most widespread and harmful diseases, a special place is occupied by Fusarium head blight caused with a fungus of the genus Fusarium. The main goal of the research work is to identify immunological properties in third-generation populations and to create infectious material, pathogen background and evaluate F3 winter wheat hybrids for resistance to the pathogen Fusarium graminearum and spike productivity components. The experimental part of the research was carried out in 2022, 2023 in breeding crop rotations on a natural background, artificial infection background and in laboratory conditions (mycological analysis). The material for the research was 30 F3 hybrids of bread winter wheat created at the Winter Wheat Breeding Laboratory of the V.M. Remeslo Myronivka Institute of Wheat of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine. The analysis of spike productivity components was carried out by the following traits: length of the main spike, grain number per main spike, and grain weight per main spike. There were calculated statistical indicators: arithmetic mean (X̅), coefficient of variation (V, %). During the implementation of breeding programs, the breeding value of genotypes is often determined. Thus, by assessing the parameters of homeostaticity (Hom) and breeding value (Sc), it was found that the higher the level of their manifestation, the more stable and significant is the variety, sample, line, and hybrid in changing weather conditions of the growing season. The analysis of the results of studying F3 hybrids of winter bread wheat by the trait “length of the main spike” on three backgrounds of the pathogen (natural, artificially infectious, mycological analysis) F. graminearum indicates the existence of insignificant (in twenty-nine hybrids) (V = 0 – 9.7%) and medium (one hybrid) (V = 10.7%) variability. The longest length of the main spike, on average, on the three pathogen backgrounds, among the studied hybrid combinations was observed in MIP Kniazhna / (Myronivska rannostyhla / CATALON) (13.8 cm), (Donskoy Prostor / Slavna) / MIP Vyshyvanka (11.6 cm) and the reciprocal combination MIP Vyshyvanka ↔ [(Mikon / ALMA) / Lehenda Myronivska] (11.6 cm, 11.7 cm, respectively). At the same time, they were characterized by a relatively high level of homeostaticity (Hom = 167, 355, 178, respectively) and a low coefficient of variation (V = 5.9%, V = 4.4% and V = 6.8%, respectively). The breeding value of these hybrids was recorded above average and amounted to Sc = 13.1, 12.9, 14.0, respectively. A high level of homeostaticity on the trait “length of the main spike” was observed in the combinations (Donskoy Prostor / Slavna) / MIP Fortuna (Hom = 252), (Myronivska rannostyhla / CATALON) / Avrora Myronivska (Hom = 250), (MV 20-88 / Smuhlianka) / MIP Kniazhna (Hom = 217). The combinations Donskoy Prostor / Slavna) / MIP Vyshyvanka, (BILINMEVEN-49 / Natalka) / Podolianka, (Myronivska rannostyhla / CATALON) / Svitanok Myronivskyi (Sc = 14.2, 14.1 14.0, respectively) were characterized by high breeding value in terms of spike length. A low coefficient of variation was found in the reciprocal hybrid combination MIP Fortuna ↔ (Donskoy Prostor / Slavna) (V = 0.1%, 0%, respectively). As a result of the studies on the trait “grain number per main spike”, it was found that 17 (56.6%) hybrid combinations had a value that exceeded the average in the experiment 59.9 pcs. The highest manifestation of this trait was observed in the combinations MIP Fortuna / [(Mikon / ALMA) / Lehenda Myronivska] (71.3 pcs.), MIP Vyshyvanka / (MV 20-88 / Smuhlianka) (66.9 pcs.) and Svitanok Myronivskyi / (Myronivska rannostyhla / CATALON) (66.4 pcs.). These combinations were characterized with a high level of homeostaticity (Hom = 498, 376, 591, respectively) and low and medium coefficients of variation (8.7 %, 13.4 %, 11.7 %, respectively). 56.6 % of the combinations had a higher homeostaticity than the average for the experiment (Hom = 488.5). High homeostaticity was established for hybrid combinations: (Myronivska rannostyhla / CATALON) / Avrora Myronivska (Hom = 717), (Donskoy Prostor / Slavna) / Podolianka (Hom = 674), and (BILINMEVEN-49 / Natalka) / MIP Kniazhna (Hom = 643), which were also characterized by high breeding value and low coefficient of variation. A high level of homeostaticity for the trait “grain weight per spike” was established in hybrid combinations (MV 20-88 / Smuhlianka) / MIP Kniazhna (Hom = 76.6), MIP Fortuna / [(Mikon / ALMA) / Lehenda Myronivska] (Hom = 54.6), Podolianka / (Donskoy Prostor / Slavna) (Hom = 36.0) and MIP Kniazhna / (Donskoy Prostor / Slavna) (Hom = 35.0). It is worth noting that the hybrid MIP Vyshyvanka / (MV 20-88 / Smuhlianka) had a low level of homeostaticity (Hom = 7), while the breeding value was high (Sc = 5.9) and the grain weight per spike exceeded the average for the experiment (3.1 g) and amounted to 3.5 g. After analyzing the results of the study on the traits “length of the main spike”, “grain number per main spike” and “grain weight per main spike”, it was found that the reciprocal combination of crossing MIP Fortuna ↔ (Donskoy Prostor / Slavna) was characterized with low variation (V) from 0% to 0.2% and high breeding value. A higher level of homeostaticity was characteristic of the reverse combination (Donskoy Prostor / Slavna) / MIP Fortuna, which exceeded the average for the traits “length of the main spike” (Hom = 252, with average for the experiment being 170), “grain number per main spike” (Hom = 577, average for the experiment 488.5). The level of homeostaticity for the trait “grain weight per main spike” was low.