Genetic variation and genetic control of intraspikelet differences in grain weight and seed dormancy in wild and domesticated emmer wheats.

Abstract

Seed dormancy, a vital strategy for wild plant species to adapt to an unpredictable environment in their natural habitats, was eliminated from cereals during the domestication process. Intraspikelet differences in grain size and seed dormancy have been observed in wild emmer wheat. To elucidate the genetic variation of these intraspikelet differences and to determine their genetic control, grain weight ratio (first florets/second florets) (GWR), germination rate, and germination index (GI) were analyzed in 67 wild and 82 domesticated emmer wheat accessions, as well as F₁ hybrids, F₂ populations, and F₃-F₆ populations derived from reciprocal crosses between wild and domesticated lines. Only the grains on the first florets of two-grained spikelets in wild accessions had varying degrees of dormancy with GI ranging from 0 to 1, which positively correlated with their GWR. This implies that wild emmer populations comprised genotypes with varying degrees of dormancy, including nondormant genotypes. According to segregations observed in F₂ populations, the intraspikelet grain weight difference was controlled by two independently inherited loci. Furthermore, low-GWR populations with low or high GI values could be selected in F₅ and F₆ generations, implying that the major loci associated with dormancy might be independent of intraspikelet grain weight difference.