Combining ability and heterosis effect in hexaploid wheat group

The main goal of hybrid wheat breeding is the identification of parents with high specific combining ability for grain yield and other agronomic traits. This kind of data facilitate the development of hybrid combinations with high level of heterosis in first filial generation (F1 generation). The use of species from the hexaploid wheat group (e.g. Triticum spelta L. Triticum compactum HOST...) is representing an opportunity for the increase of heterosis level in the germplasm of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The study of combining ability and heterosis effect in hexaploid wheat group was carried out using crosses between thirteen inbred lines of common wheat (6 lines x 7 testers) and inter-species crosses (T. aestivum L. × T. spelta L., T. aestivum L. × T. compactum HOST, T. aestivum L. × T. sphaerococcum PERCIV., T. aestivum L. × T. macha DEKAPR. et MENABDE, T. aestivum L. × T. petropavlovskyi UDACZ. et MIGUSCH, T. aestivum L. × T. vavilovii (THUM.) JAKUBZ.). The 42 common wheat F1 hybrids were tested during two seasons (2010/11 and 2011/12) on the Selection center Ptuj. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design with four replications. The 43 interspecies F1 hybrids were tested on the same location in the season 2011/12 and the experiment was designed as an randomized block with three replications. The results were analyzed using statistical package AGROBASE generation II and STATGRAPHICS Centurion XVI. The analysis of variance was significant for both, GCA and SCA variances (P < 0,01). Generally, SCA variances were lower than GCA variances. We could state, that the improvement of heterosis level in the common wheat germplasm through the use of relatives with the same genome (genome BAD) is possible. As an example we can point out the interspecies F1 hybrid between common wheat variety Garcia and an accession of the Triticum sphaerococcum PERCIV. species (accession number 01C0201227).