Interaction of VRN and PPD genes in the regulation of the development of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

Aim. To reveal the effects of the VRN and PPD genes on the rate of development of winter wheat in absence of vernalization and after its completion with different durations of the photoperiod. Methods. Winter-type development lines of the Mironovskaya 808 variety, isogenic with respect to the PPD genes. VRN genes are recessive in all lines. Plants were grown under the conditions of a growing experiment from non-vernalized seeds (1 group of all lines), and also after vernalization (2 group of all lines) at 20-22°C. Both groups were grown under long (18 hours) and short (9 hours) photoperiods. The pace of development was determined by the timing of the transition of plants to spiking. Results. In the absence of vernalization on a short day, isogenic lines with dominant genes PPD-D1a and PPD-B1a and cultivar (all genes are PPD recessive) passed to earing, and the line with the dominant PPD-A1a gene remained in the tillering phase until the end of the experiment. On a long day, all investigated lines and cultivar did not spike until the end of the experiment (200 days). After vernalization was completed, all the studied lines under the conditions of a short photoperiod were earing later than on a long day, but the line with the dominant PPD-B1a gene was the latest. Conclusions. The VRN and PPD genes interact in the regulation of winter wheat development - they are “interchangeable” in terms of developmental effects depending on a combination of temperature and photoperiodic conditions.
 Keywords: winter wheat, (Triticum aestivum L.), vernalization, photoperiod, development rates, VRN and PPD genes.