Durum Wheat Breeding in the Mediterranean Region: Current Status and Future Prospects

Abstract

This brief historical review focuses on durum wheat domestication and breeding in the Mediterranean region. Important milestones in durum wheat breeding programs across the countries of the Mediterranean basin before and after the Green Revolution are discussed. Additionally, the main achievements of the classical breeding methodology are presented using a comparison of old and new cultivars. Furthermore, current breeding goals and challenges are analyzed. An overview of classical breeding methods in combination with current molecular techniques and tools for cultivar development is presented. Important issues of seed quality are outlined, focusing on protein and characteristics that affect human health and are connected with the consumption of wheat end-products.

Screening of Durum Wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum (Desf.) Husn.) Italian Cultivars for Susceptibility to Fusarium Head Blight Incited by Fusarium graminearum

“…The results of this screening are the only available information on the FHB susceptibility of many Italian durum wheat cultivars based on experimental data under high disease pressure and controlled experimental conditions. In agreement with previous studies highlighting the difficulty in finding germplasm resistant to FHB in international collections of durum wheat germplasm [ 40 , 44 , 54 ], very few of the Italian durum wheat cultivars tested proved to be resistant to this disease, whereas most of them were ranked from moderately susceptible to very susceptible. This finding indicates that, at present, in an integrated disease management strategy, including chemical treatments, when appropriate, the use of tolerant/resistant or moderately susceptible cultivars as well as the reduction of initial amount of inoculum by correct agronomic techniques, such as crop rotation avoiding corn as a previous crop, time of sowing, stubble burning and deep tillage are the most effective options to mitigate the impact of FHB.…”

“…Another strategy, which could be crucial to both conventional and modern molecular breeding approaches, is the identification and exploitation of FHB resistance already present in local germplasm. In this respect, the Italian germplasm of durum wheat, which has been traditionally selected for other traits such as yield potential, grain quality, drought and heat tolerance, plant height, earliness and resistance to rusts, has been episodically and only very preliminarily evaluated for FHB resistance [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 ].…”

Small “Nested” Introgressions from Wild Thinopyrum Species, Conferring Effective Resistance to Fusarium Diseases, Positively Impact Durum Wheat Yield Potential

“…Durum wheat ( Triticum durum Desf., 2n = 4x = 28, genomes AB) is cultivated on only 8% of the global land surface planted to wheat [ 1 , 2 ], yet it is a strategic crop for countries across diversified world areas, primarily in the Mediterranean Basin [ 3 , 4 ]. By domestication and historical selection for a limited number of traits, the original genetic variability present in durum wheat’s direct progenitors and landraces was significantly restricted [ 5 ].…”

Genomic Regions Associated with the Control of Flowering Time in Durum Wheat

“…is an allotetraploid with A and B genomes. Its major production base is the European Union, with 9 million tonnes harvested in 2018, followed by Canada, Turkey, the United States, Algeria, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Syria, and India [ 1 ]. Flowering induction plays a pivotal role in the plant life cycle, affecting reproductive success and yield depending on the prevailing climatic conditions of the target environment.…”