The 1BL/1RS homozygous chromosome translocation involves the short arm of Secale cereale L. chromosome 1R (1RS) and the long arm of chromosome 1B (1BL) of Triticum aestivum L. The 1RS chromosome arm possesses leaf, stem, stripe rust and mildew resistance genes (McIntosh 1983, Zeller and Fuchs 1983, Heun and Fischbeck 1987. Presence of the rye arm has been further associated with high yield, stability and wide adaptability of wheat germplasm, specifically for the cultivar Veery cross (Rajaram et al. 1983, Villareal et al. 1994). The Veery lines were derived from the 1BL/1RS winter bread wheat variety Kavkaz. The translocation was simultaneously and independently identified in Veery "S" by Merker (1982) and Mujeeb-Kazi (1982). Global wheat varietal releases possessing the 1BL/1RS translocation currently occupy over five million hectares of cultivated area. Approximately 40.0% of our germplasm (Rajaram et al. 1990) and up to 85.0% of Pakistan wheat varieties in yield trials (Jahan et al. 1990, Ter-Kuile et al. 1991 possess the homozygous 1BL/1RS translocation.Recently it was suggested (Villareal et al. 1994) that 1BL/1RS wheat varieties exhibit a yield advantage over 1B wheat varieties. Further (Villareal et al. 1995) in a two year yield trial study based upon random F2 derived F6 advanced lines from a Nacozari (1B)/Seri 82 (1BL/ 1RS) cross concluded that there was a 4.3% significant yield advantage for the 1BL/1RS derivatives. We felt that a more stringent test was necessary and through this report describe the production of germplasm that shall more precisely elucidate the effects of the 1BL/1RS translocation in a bread and durum wheat variety. This was made possible by substituting in T. aestivum L. cv. Seri 82 (1BL/1RS, 1BL/1RS) a 1B chromosome, and a 1BL/1RS chromosome in T. turgidum L. cv. Altar 84 (1B, 1B) by using the backcross procedure. For critical testing of the 1BL effect on yield components the "extracted" Seri 82 and Altar 84 derivatives after eight backcrosses and a selfing were also selected. These "extracted" derivatives may differ from the original breeders Seri 82 and Altar 84 varieties by recombinational changes on the 1BL chromosome arm, a minor but significant feature not met by random F2 derived F6 germplasm also. The diagnostic biochemical, molecular and cytological procedures used in development of the substituted germplasm are also elucidated.
Materials and methodsProduction and cytological diagnostics Triticum aestivum L. cv. Seri 82 (1BL/1RS, 1BL/1RS) as the female parent was pollinated by T. aestivum L. cv. Pavon 76 (1B, 1B). The resulting Seri 82 X Pavon 76 F1 (1BL/1RS, 1B) was backcrossed to Seri 82. BC1 plants were screened by C-or N-banding techniques (Jahan et al. 1990, Jewell andMujeeb-Kazi 1982) for identifying up to three 1BL/1RS, 1B heterozygote derivative plants which were then each backcrossed to Seri 82 again and similarly 1 Corresponding author: A . Mujeeb-Kazi.