Genetic studies of the crossability of hexaploid wheat with rye and Hordeum bulbosum

Summary

Crosses of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Group 5 chromosome substitution lines from three different cultivar backgrounds indicate that there may be multiple alleles for reduced crossability with rye (Secale cereale L.) and H. bulbosum on both 5A and 5B chromosomes. No reduction in seed set was observed from any of the 5D substitution lines. It was found that the Kr₁ locus on chromosome 5B had a more pronounced affect on both rye and H. bulbosum crossability than the Kr₂ locus on chromosome 5A and that the effects of both loci were cumulative. The Kr alleles affected both rye and H. bulbosum crossability in a linear, or additive, fashion. The Kr ₂ allele was shown to have little effect on H. bulbosum crossability compared to a significant effect on rye crossability. Tests with tetrasomic and nulli-tetrasomic lines of ‘Chinese Spring’ indicated that the kr allele is ‘null’ or inactive in promoting crossability while the Kr allele is active in reducing crossability to both rye and H. bulbosum. Thus, extra doses of the kr allele do not increase rye or H. bulbosum crossability in the presence of the corresponding Kr allele.