Analysis of generation means in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under normal and salinity stress conditions

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Horticulture Crops Research Department, Golestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Gorgan, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Horticulture Crops Research Department, Golestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Gorgan, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, AREEO, Karaj, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
The analysis of means and variances across generations is a crucial tool in genetic and breeding studies. It enables plant breeders to precisely evaluate genetic responses under diverse environmental conditions, including normal, saline, and drought stresses. Generation mean analysis allows the estimation of additive and dominance effects, as well as their interactions. This information is crucial for selecting optimal parents to achieve higher heterosis, thereby improving breeding efficiency. The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters controlling key agronomic traits using generation mean and variance analyses in populations derived from crosses between Morvarid and Sistan cultivars under normal and saline stress conditions during the reproductive stage.
 
Materials and methods
To investigate the genetic control of key agronomic traits in bread wheat, parents and their derived generations from the Morvarid × Sistan cross were evaluated. The experiment was conducted as a split-plot arrangement based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications at the Gorgan Agricultural Research Station. Two irrigation regimes, including full irrigation and saline stress, were evaluated during the 2022–2023 growing season. Saline stress was imposed at full spike emergence (Zadoks code 73) and early milk development (Zadoks code 60). Measurements of each trait were taken from 10 plants in the parental and F₁ generations, 30 plants in the F₂ generation, and 15 plants in each backcross generation. After maturity, plant height, spike length, peduncle length, number of spikes per plant, number of spikelets per spike, number of grains per spike, thousand-kernel weight, and grain yield per plant were recorded. Statistical analyses were performed using appropriate methods and statistical software.
 
Results and discussion
Analysis of variance revealed that the effects of stress and the stress × generation interaction were significant for thousand-kernel weight and grain yield per plant. Therefore, genetic analyses for these traits were performed separately under normal and saline stress conditions. For the remaining traits, due to non-significant effects of stress and the stress × generation interaction, data from both conditions were pooled and analyzed jointly. Accordingly, the results are applicable to both environmental conditions. Significant differences among generations were observed for most of the studied traits. The chi-square test indicated that peduncle length, plant height, and yield were not significantly affected under saline stress conditions. In contrast, the chi-square test was significant for other traits, indicating that the simple additive-dominance model is insufficient and suggesting that epistatic effects, genetic linkage, and maternal effects may influence these traits. Generation mean analysis indicated that non-additive genetic effects were more influential than additive effects in controlling most studied traits, including number of grains per spike, number of spikelets per spike, number of spikes per plant, thousand-kernel weight, and grain yield per plant, under both normal and saline stress conditions. Additionally, most traits were strongly influenced by epistatic effects and showed low narrow-sense heritability. Analysis of generation variances revealed that traits such as number of grains per spike, number of spikelets per spike, number of spikes per plant, and grain yield per plant were primarily influenced by overdominance. In contrast, for plant height and peduncle length, additive genetic effects were more significant than non-additive effects and no epistatic effects were detected. Furthermore, relatively high narrow-sense heritability was observed for plant height and peduncle length.
 
Conclusion
Based on our results under both conditions, genetic improvement can be achieved in plant height and peduncle length in the initial generations, but for other traits, including grain yield and its components, selection should be postponed to more advanced generations.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Environmental Stresses in Crop Sciences

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 01 February 2026

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History

  • Receive Date: 17 December 2024
  • Revise Date: 05 January 2025
  • Accept Date: 12 January 2025

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