Evaluation of variation in Triticum dicoccum for wheat improvement in stress environments

Abstract

A collection of accessions of cultivated emmer wheat, Triticum dicoccum, was evaluated for economically important traits at Tel Hadya in northern Syria. Useful variation among and within accessions was detected for agronomic traits, including a high number of productive tillers and protein content. The results from the disease screening nurseries indicated that T. dicoccum offers a good source of resistance to common bunt and yellow rust. Most of the accessions tested were, however, susceptible to late frost, which occurred in the second season. In the dry areas of West Asia and North Africa (WANA) available moisture in the soil is limited, and biotic and other abiotic stresses, such as terminal heat stress, reduce the grain yield to a considerable extent. The present study indicates that T. dicoccum has a large potential for use in improvement of durum wheat for WANA, where 80 % of the world's production of this crop is grown.

Chromosomal Passports Provide New Insights into Diffusion of Emmer Wheat

“…Today T . dicoccon is a neglected crop, cultivated mainly in marginal areas of Ethiopia, Yemen, Morocco, Turkey, Iran, Transcaucasia, India, and the Balkans, often in mixed stands with other wheats [ 12 – 18 ]. Emmer was probably not affected by a severe genetic bottleneck of modern breeding strategies [ 19 , 20 ], as in the case of more intensely bred crops [ 21 – 23 ].…”

History, Achievements, and Current Status of Genetic Resources Conservation

“…dicoccum ) are intermediate; and modern durum cultivars have the lowest protein percentage. Selections from the progenies of crosses can maintain a high protein percentage (Damania et al, 1992). Similarly, 1000‐kernel weight of some durum varieties is much higher than that of T. turgidum subsp.…”

Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer and Fungicide Application on Disease Severity, Yield and Yield Related Traits of Emmer Wheat (<i>Triticum diccocom L.</i>) in Highlands of Bale, Southeastern Ethiopia

“…Emmer wheat has the ability to grow in poor soil condition and marginal land. It is drought tolerant and resistant to a range of fungal diseases except leaf rust to which emmer is susceptible (Damania, et al, 1992;BOSTID, 1996;Nesbitt and Samuel, 1996). In addition other economically useful traits such as disease resistance, earliness and frost tolerance can be exploited for wheat improvement (ICARDA, 1991;Beteselassieet al, 2007;Tekluet al, 2007).…”