Genetic diversity for drought resistance in wild emmer wheat and its ecogeographical associations

Wild emmer wheat ( Triticum turgidum spp. dicoccoides (Korn.) Thell.), the tetraploid progenitor of cultivated wheat, is a potential source for various agronomical traits, including drought resistance. The objectives of this study were to characterize (1) the genetic diversity for drought resistance in wild emmer wheat, and (2) the relationship between drought responses of the wild emmer germplasm and the ecogeographical parameters of its collection sites. A total of 110 wild emmer accessions consisting of 25 populations and three control durum wheat cultivars were examined under two irrigation regimes, well-watered (’wet’) and water-limited (’dry’). Wide genetic diversity was found both between and within the wild emmer populations in most variables under each treatment. A considerable number of the wild emmer accessions exhibited an advantage in productivity (spike and total dry matter) over their cultivated counterparts. Most wild emmer wheat accessions exhibited a greater carbon isotope ratio ( d d d 13 C, indicating higher water-use efficiency) under the dry treatment and higher plasticity of d d d 13 C relative to the cultivated controls, which may have contributed to the drought adaptations in the former. The most outstanding drought-tolerance capacity (in term of productivity under the dry treatment and susceptibility indices) was detected in wild emmer populations originated from hot dry locations. The results suggest that wild emmer has the potential to improve drought resistance in cultivated wheat.

[1]  E. Nevo,et al.  Patterns of resistance of Israeli wild emmer wheat to pathogens I. Predictive method by ecology and allozyme genotypes for powdery mildew and leaf rust , 1985, Genetica.

[2]  J. David,et al.  Morphological diversity and potential interest for wheat improvement of three Aegilops L. species from Bulgaria , 2003, Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution.

[3]  D. Bonfil,et al.  Wild wheat adaptation in different soil ecosystems as expressed in the mineral concentration of the seeds , 2000, Euphytica.

[4]  E. Nevo.  Genetic diversity in wild cereals: regional and local studies and their bearing on conservation ex situ and in situ , 1998, Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution.

[5]  E. Nevo,et al.  Genetic diversity of photosynthetic characters in native populations of Triticum dicoccoides , 1990, Photosynthesis Research.

[6]  E. Nevo,et al.  Genetic diversity of wild emmer wheat in Israel and Turkey , 1989, Theoretical and Applied Genetics.

[7]  A. Levy,et al.  Ecogeographical distribution of HMW glutenin alleles in populations of the wild tetraploid wheat Triticum turgidum var. dicoccoides , 1988, Theoretical and Applied Genetics.

[8]  E. Nevo,et al.  Wheat storage proteins: diversity of HMW glutenin subunits in wild emmer from Israel , 1987, Theoretical and Applied Genetics.

[9]  C. Konzak,et al.  Quantitative variation in the kernel proteins among 841 accessions of Triticum dicoccoides estimated by SDS-PAGE , 1986, Theoretical and Applied Genetics.

[10]  E. Nevo,et al.  Genetic resources of wild cereals in Israel and vicinity. I. Phenotypic variation within and between populations of wild wheat, Triticum dicoccoides , 1984, Euphytica.

[11]  E. Nevo,et al.  Genetic diversity and environmental associations of wild wheat, Triticum dicoccoides, in Israel , 1982, Theoretical and Applied Genetics.

[12]  G. Slafer,et al.  Physiology of Yield and Adaptation in Wheat and Barley Breeding , 2004 .

[13]  E. Nevo,et al.  Resistance of wild wheat to stripe rust: Predictive method by ecology and allozyme genotypes , 2004, Plant Systematics and Evolution.

[14]  J. Araus,et al.  Plant breeding and drought in C3 cereals: what should we breed for? , 2002, Annals of botany.

[15]  A. Condon,et al.  Selection for reduced carbon isotope discrimination increases aerial biomass and grain yield of rainfed bread wheat , 2002 .

[16]  E. Nevo,et al.  Evolution of Wild Emmer and Wheat Improvement: Population Genetics, Genetic Resources, and Genome Organization of Wheat’s Progenitor, Triticum dicoccoides , 2002 .

[17]  E. Nevo,et al.  Microsatellite polymorphism in natural populations of wild emmer wheat, Triticum dicoccoides, in Israel , 2002, Theoretical and Applied Genetics.

[18]  Professor Eviatar Nevo,et al.  Evolution of Wild Emmer and Wheat Improvement , 2002, Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

[19]  M. Havaux,et al.  Drought and Heat Responses in the Wild Wheat Relative Aegilops geniculata Roth: Potential Interest for Wheat Improvement , 2001 .

[20]  O. Merah,et al.  Relationships between carbon isotope discrimination, dry matter production, and harvest index in durum wheat , 2001 .

[21]  E. Nevo.  GENETIC RESOURCES OF WILD EMMER, TRITICUM DICOCCOIDES, FOR WHEAT IMPROVEMENT IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM , 2001 .

[22]  Simcha Lev-Yadun,et al.  The Cradle of Agriculture , 2000, Science.

[23]  A. Beiles,et al.  Microsatellite diversity correlated with ecological-edaphic and genetic factors in three microsites of wild emmer wheat in North Israel. , 2000, Molecular biology and evolution.

[24]  E. Nevo,et al.  RAPD polymorphism of wild emmer wheat populations, Triticum dicoccoides, in Israel , 1999, Theoretical and Applied Genetics.

[25]  L. T. Evans,et al.  Feeding the Ten Billion: Plants and Population Growth , 1999 .

[26]  A. Scartazza,et al.  Genetic variation in photosynthetic capacity, carbon isotope discrimination and mesophyll conductance in provenances of Castanea sativa adapted to different environments , 1997 .

[27]  E. Nevo,et al.  Geographical variation in heading traits in wild emmer wheat, Triticum dicoccoides. I. Variation in vernalization response and ecological differentiation , 1997, Theoretical and Applied Genetics.

[28]  S. Tanksley,et al.  Seed banks and molecular maps: unlocking genetic potential from the wild. , 1997, Science.

[29]  A. Condon,et al.  3 – Adaptation to Diverse Environments: Variation in Water-Use Efficiency within Crop Species , 1997 .

[30]  R. A. Fischer,et al.  Yield potential progress in short bread wheats in Northwest Mexico , 1997 .

[31]  E. Nevo,et al.  Chromosome 4 controls potential water use efficiency (δ13C) in barley , 1994 .

[32]  K. Siddique,et al.  Morphological and physiological traits associated with wheat yield increases in Mediterranean environments , 1994 .

[33]  E. Nevo,et al.  Variation for 22Na Uptake in Wild Emmer Wheat, Triticum dicoccoides in Israel: Salt Tolerance Resources for Wheat Improvement , 1992 .

[34]  H. Nguyen,et al.  Water-Use Efficiency and Carbon Isotope Discrimination in Wheat , 1991 .

[35]  J. Read,et al.  Comparative studies in Nothofagus (Fagaceae). I : Leaf carbon isotope discrimination , 1991 .

[36]  Abraham Blum,et al.  Plant Breeding For Stress Environments , 1988 .

[37]  Maria Hopf,et al.  Domestication of plants in the old world , 1988 .

[38]  E. Golenberg.  ESTIMATION OF GENE FLOW AND GENETIC NEIGHBORHOOD SIZE BY INDIRECT METHODS IN A SELFING ANNUAL, TRITICUM DICOCCOIDES , 1987, Evolution; international journal of organic evolution.

[39]  N. Smith,et al.  Gene Banks and the World's Food , 1987 .

[40]  E. Nevo,et al.  Resistance of Triticum dicoccoides Collected in Israel to Infection with Puccinia recondita tritici1 , 1985 .

[41]  G. Farquhar,et al.  Isotopic Composition of Plant Carbon Correlates With Water-Use Efficiency of Wheat Genotypes , 1984 .

[42]  C. Schlichting,et al.  Phenotypic plasticity of annual Phlox: tests of some hypotheses. , 1984 .

[43]  J. Boyer.  Plant Productivity and Environment , 1982, Science.

[44]  O. H. Frankel,et al.  Conservation and Evolution , 1983 .

[45]  E. R. Sears,et al.  The Wild Gene Resources of Wheat , 1981 .

[46]  P. Kramer.  Drought, stress, and the origin of adaptations. , 1980 .

[47]  J. Wood,et al.  Drought resistance in spring wheat cultivars. III.* Yield associations with morpho-physiological traits , 1979 .

[48]  R. Fischer,et al.  Drought resistance in spring wheat cultivars, 1. Grain yield responses. , 1978 .

[49]  D. Zohary,et al.  Distribution of Wild Wheats and Barley , 1966, Science.

[50]  A. D. Bradshaw,et al.  Evolutionary Significance of Phenotypic Plasticity in Plants , 1965 .

[51]  J. H. Ward.  Hierarchical Grouping to Optimize an Objective Function , 1963 .

[52]  E. R. Sears,et al.  THE ORIGIN OF TRITICUM SPELTA AND ITS FREE-THRESHING HEXAPLOID RELATIVES , 1946 .

[53]  E. Artschwager.  ON THE ANATOMY OF CHENOPODIUM ALBUM L. , 1920 .