ALLELIC VARIABILITY OF CROATIAN WHEAT CULTIVARS AT THE MICROSATELLITE LOCUS XGWM261

The plant height of wheat is an important quantitative trait, controlled by severalgenes with strong effect. However, in worldwide wheat breeding, only several ofthose genes have been used. Rht8 (Reduced Height Gene) is especially importantin agro-climatic conditions of South-East Europe. Because of its close linkage withdwarfing gene Rht8, microsatellite marker gwm261 has been accepted as the diagnosticmolecular marker for gene Rht8. In this study, allelic variability at the locusXgwm261 for 122 Croatian and foreign wheat cultivars by means of microsatellitemarker gwm261 was determined. A 192 base pairs allele at the locus Xgwm261was found for 84 Croatian cultivars. The genetic heritage of Croatian cultivars at thelocus Xgwm261 is the consequence of new parental components usage, carriers ofshort plant and early maturity attributes and the consequent selection of progenywith these traits during breeding process. The results of this research will be helpfulin characterization of domestic wheat cultivars, as well as in more accurateselection of parents for hybridization purposes.