Archive | 2021
Genetic and Morpho-Agronomic Characterization of Sicilian Tetraploid Wheat Germplasm
Abstract
\n Cereal landraces are a very valuable resource in contemporary agriculture. A renewed focus for breeding purposes could ameliorate some negative consequences of modern agriculture and conventional breeding, such as the loss of genetic diversity. A strategy combining molecular genotyping and characterization of morpho-agronomic traits related to productivity is proposed to assess a group of tetraploid wheat landraces named “Bufala”, historically cultivated in the mountain areas of Sicily and used for the production of a traditional bread type locally appreciated. A total of 55 SSR molecular markers were used to detect pattern of diversity for 30 rivet and durum wheat genotypes. Furthermore, phenotyping was than conducted for 8 morpho-agronomic traits. Discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC), STRUCTURE and phylogenetical analysis allowed to identify three groups, two of them genetically close and including both “Bufala” and “Bufala-related” rivet landraces. To the third group old and more recent durum wheat varieties, constituting the outgroup, were assigned. Clustering was confirmed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Finally, a correlation analysis showed as “Bufala” genotypes are characterized by lower ear density compared with the other studied genotypes, a major ear length and a later earing time. The generated knowledge about the levels of diversity and population structure could be an important contribution for parent selection in tetraploid wheat breeding programs in order to define a plant ideotype suitable for low-input and organic cropping systems, as well as for germplasm conservation and management.