Development and molecular characterization of wheat- 'Aegilops longissima' derivatives with high grain micronutrients

• Published in: Australian Journal of Crop Science Vol. 7; no. 4; pp. 508 - 514
• Main Authors: Kumari Neelam, Nidhi Rawat, Vijay K Tiwari, Nikita Ghandhi, Chetan Arun Patokar, Sundip Kumar, Sangharsh K Tripathi, Gursharn S Randhawa, Ramasre Prasad, Harcharan S Dhaliwal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lismore, N.S.W Southern Cross Publishers 01.01.2013
• Subjects: Growth; Plant hybridization; Trace elements in plant nutrition; Wheat
• ISSN: 1835-2693

Developing food crops with enhanced mineral concentrations is one of the most sustainable and cost effective approaches for alleviation of micronutrient. This article aims at development and molecular characterization of wheat- Aegilops longissima derivatives with high grain micronutrients (iron, zinc, copper, manganese, calcium, magnesium and potassium). Aegilops longissima (2n=14, SlSl) accession 3506 with high grain micronutrients was used for transferring these traits to elite wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars through wide hybridization. The fertile HD2687/L3506//WL711 BC1F3 derivatives were developed through selfing and selection for chromosome constitution, meiotic stability and micronutrient concentrations was done at each generation. Sixteen derivatives were finally selected and characterized. The selected backcross derivatives showed enhanced grain iron, zinc, copper, manganese, calcium, magnesium and, potassium concentrations over the parental wheat cultivars by up to 183.6%, 243.6%, 135.18%, 160.42%, 223.29%, 43.90% and 35.05%, respectively. Introgression of chromosomes 2, 7 and 1 from Ae. longissima, confirmed by plant waxiness,GISH, anchored wheat SSR markers and HMW glutenin subunit profiling and was found to be associated with enhanced micronutrients in the derivatives.