Development of selection criteria for improving grain yield in wheat grown in different agro-ecological environments

Abstract

Various statistical methods were applied in this research: analysis of genetic parameters, Pearson's correlation, genotypic and phenotypic correlations, and Path analysis, with the aim of creating a selection criterion for increasing wheat grain yield. A two-year experimental study was conducted with twenty-seven wheat genotypes, grown on two localities: Rimski Šančevi (Bačka, Vojvodina), on Chernozem soil type; and Kumane (Banat, Vojvodina), on Solonjec soil type. The highest values of phenotypic coefficient of variation (CVp) had the grain weight per plant (17.44% on Chernozem and 13.81% on Solonetz), while the lowest value of CVp had the thousand grain weight (8.12% on Chernozem and 5.47% on Solonetz). On Chernozem, the value of the genotypic coefficient of variation (CVg) ranged from 1.51%, in the number of grains per spike, to 9.17% in the spike length, while on Solonetz, grain weight per plant had the lowest value of CVg (0.36%) and plant height the highest one (11.15%). At both localities, grain yield was in highly significant and positive correlations with all analyzed traits, except with plant height and spike length. In favorable environmental conditions (Chernozem), Path analysis revealed that grain yield directly depends on grain weight per spike (0.317**), number of grains per spike (0.232**) and spike weight (0.209**), and other analyzed traits have a positive indirect effect on grain yield over mentioned traits. Under salinity stress conditions, the grain weight per plant had the highest direct effect on grain yield (0.891**), which makes this trait a good selection criterion in breeding for salinity stress tolerance.

Exploitation of the Genetic Variability of Diverse Metric Traits of Durum Wheat (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum Desf.) Cultivars for Local Adaptation to Semi-Arid Regions of Algeria

“…Additionally, the difference between CV p and CV g values has highlighted the influence of environmental factors on trait variability, particularly for traits like CC, MT, FLA, and yield components, excluding TKW. In such a situation, breeders should consider this information when developing strategies to enhance genotypic stability and environmental adaptability in wheat varieties [38,39]. Apart from MT and FLA, most of the measured traits in the durum wheat germplasm displayed high genetic control (CV g /CV e > 1), making them favorable targets for breeding programs, due to their responsiveness to selection efforts.…”

“…Under certain conditions, the negative direct effect might dominate, while under different conditions, the positive genetic correlation with yield becomes more evident. Thus, selection based on spike weight would be effective but should be practiced cautiously [38].…”

Assessing the Potential of Old and Modern Serbian Wheat Genotypes: Yield Components and Nutritional Profiles in a Comprehensive Study

“…The number and size of developing grains on the wheat spike can affect the overall sink strength, and wheat genotypes with a greater number of grains or larger grains generally have a higher sink strength, allowing them to attract and utilize more assimilates [14,15]. Therefore, studying yield components related to grain number and size could help to better understand the genetic basis for increasing wheat production [4,8,13,[16][17][18][19].…”