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PRODUCTION AND EVALUATION OF SALT TOLERANT WHEAT GERMPLASM DERIVED THROUGH CROSSES BE1WEEM WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) AND AEGILOPS CYUNDRICA. I. PRODUCTION OF SALT TOLERANT WHEAT GERMPLASM.

S. FAROOQ, M. ASGHAR, E.ASKARI AND T.M. SHAH

Abstract: To produce salt-tolerant wheat germplasm through wide hybridization, 8 different salt-tolerant accessions of Ae. cylindrica were crossed with 3 hexaploid wheat cultivars: Pak-81, LU-26, and Shalimar88. Frequency of seed set ranged between 1.72% (Shalimar-88 x Ae. cylindrica acc. 38-53) and 52.6% (Pak81 x Ae. cylindrica acc. G.). The performance of wheat cultivars LU-26 and Shalimar-88 as female parent for F hybrid production was poor. Frequency of BC₁ seed production ranged between 0.53% (Pak-81 x Ae. cylindrical I LU-26) and 8.92% (Shalimar-88 x Ae. cylindrical/ LU-26). BC₁ plants with different chromosome numbers were selfed to produce BC1F1 derivatives. Seven BC₁combinations produced selfed seeds ranging between 1 and 200. Six BC1 combinations did not produce selfed seeds and were backcrossed again with LU-26 to produce BC2 seeds, which ranged between 1 and 12 seeds per BC1 combInation. Of the 30 different BC₂ seeds produced in different combinations, only 19 produced BC₂F₁ selfed seeds. All the BC2F 1 and BC₁F₂ seeds were tested for germination under saline solutions of EC 2.5 (control) 15, 20, and 25 dS/m. Salinity induced reduction and delay in seed germination; reduction in shoot and root length and in seedling fresh weight was observed with considerable variation among different salinity levels and among different genotypes at one salinity level. The results have been discussed with reference to the wide hybridization approach and its potential use in the production of Fneuc variability for polygenically controlled characters such as salt-tolerance.

Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NlAB), Faisalabad, Pakistan.