Variability of yield traits and disease resistance in winter triticale genetic resources accessions

A systematic gathering of winter triticale accessions was started in Poland in 1982 by the Institute of Genetics, Breeding and Seed Science at the Agricultural University in Lublin (at present its name is: Institute of Genetics, Breeding and Plant Biotechnology at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin). First, breeding lines obtained in local breeding stations were gathered. Next, accessions were imported from the following world gene banks: Beltsville, Gatersleben, and VIR. Interesting hybrid materials obtained in research centers were also included in the collection. Now, the collection includes 2349 accessions (1329 of winter triticale and 1020 of spring triticale). The evaluation is conducted in a 4-year cycle of field experiments using the same methods. The gathered accessions represent a large range of variability of both morphological and commercial traits. The large differentiation of accessions especially concerns traits such as: plant height, number and weight of grains per spi- ke, protein content in grain, field resistance to powdery mildew, brown rust and leaf and spike diseases

Stability estimation of selected yielding traits of Polish winter triticale varieties

Celem przeprowadzonych badań była ocena stabilności na warunki pogodowe 36 polskich odmian pszenżyta ozimego pod względem masy ziaren z kłosa oraz masy tysiąca ziaren. Jedno-powtórzeniowe doświadczenia polowe przeprowadzono w latach 2001 – 2004 w Gospodarstwie Doświadczalnym Uniwersytetu Przyrodniczego w Lublinie, w Czesławicach k/Nałęczowa. Zastosowano metodę graficzną biplot typu GGE, współczynnik regresji Eberharta – Russella, miarę ekowalencji Wricke’a, i złożony miernik stabilności Hansona. Odmianami stabilnymi na warunki pogodowe osiągającymi wysokie wartości masy ziaren z kłosa były: Piano, Vero i Tornado. Niestabilne, pod względem masy ziaren z kłosa, odmiany Mundo i Fidelio osiągały większe wartości tej cechy w niekorzystnych warunkach pogodowych. Pod względem masy 1000 ziaren, odmianami stabilnymi i osiągającymi duże wartości badanej cechy były Ugo, Typo, Debo i Piano. Natomiast odmiana Lasko o najwyższych wartościach masy 1000 ziaren była odmianą niestabilną. Odmiany Piano, Ego i Tornado były stabilne i przyjmowały duże wartości obu badanych cech plonotwórczych.The objective of this study was to evaluate stability of yielding traits of Polish cultivars of winter triticale depending on weather conditions. Grain weight per spike and 1000 grains weight of 36 cultivars were taken into account. Four-year (2001–2004) one-replication field experiments were conducted at the Experimental Field Station of the University of Life Sciences in Czesławice near Nałeczów, Poland. The graphical GGE biplot method, Eberhart – Russell regression coefficient, Wricke ecovalance and Hanson’s composite parameter of stability were used. Cultivars Piano, Vero and Tornado were stable in diverse weather conditions with high grain weight per spike. Cultivars Mundo and Fidelio were unstable but their grain weight per spike increased with deteriorating weather conditions. Cultivars Ugo, Typo, Debo and Piano were stable with high 1000 grains weight. Cultivar Lasko was unstable but achieved the highest 1000 grains weight. Cultivars Piano, Ego and Tornado were stable regarding both tested yielding traits

Genetic Resources of Triticale in the Polish Gene Bank

The aim of the research, conducted at the Institute of Plant Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology of the  University of Life Sciences in Lublin since 1982, is the systematic gathering and multi-annual characterization  of triticale accessions collected in the Polish gene bank, as well as regeneration of materials preserved in the seed stores in case of reduced germination capacity or a small sample of grains. Valorisation of accessions  is carried out in a 4-year cycle of field experiments and includes botanical identification and a description of morphological and useful traits (agricultural and qualitative), conducted every year according to the same methodology. The valorisation data include both traits determined in field evaluation (assessment of emergence, overwintering, lodging, fungal disease resistance, and heading and full maturity dates) and measurements of biometric features (plant height, spike length, number of spikelets per spike, number and weight of grains per spike, 1,000 grain weight, protein content in grain). As part of the research, accessions have been made available for use in breeding programmes and have been donated to research and development institutes as a broad spectrum of variation for genetic similarity analysis and to provide genetic sources of such traits as resistance to pre-harvest sprouting, response to toxic aluminium ions, and disease resistance

Estimation of combining ability of chosen T. durum Desf. cultivars and lines

Materiał do badań stanowiły mieszańce F2 uzyskane ze skrzyżowania 6 form matecznych (AC Melita, Solga, Wagtail, LGR 900/3a, LGR 1359/8, ICDW 21666) z 4 formami ojcowskimi (Immer, Atlas, ICDW 21545, Heines Deutscher Hartweizen). Oszacowano ogólną i swoistą zdolność kombinacyjną. Stwierdzono przewagę addytywnego działania genów w dziedziczeniu większości analizowanych cech. Na podstawie oszacowanych efektów GCA należy wyróżnić odmiany Wagtail, i Immer oraz linię LGR 900/3a, które korzystnie oddziałują na wiele cech. Wieloma dodatnimi efektami swoistej zdolności kombinacyjnej charakteryzują się mieszańce AC Melita × ICDW 21545 i Wagtail × Heines Deutscher Hartweizen.Material for the study consisted of second generation hybrids (F2) derived from crosses of six maternal forms (AC Melita, Solga, Wagtail, LGR 900/3a, LGR 1359/8, ICDW 21666) with four paternal forms (Immer, Atlas, ICDW 21545, Heines Deutscher Hartweizen). General and specific combining ability was estimated in research. Predominance of additive genes effect in heredity of the most of analyzed traits was found. On the basis of estimated GCA effects, the following varieties: Wagtail, Immer, and LGR 900/3a line should be distinguished as having positive effects on many tested traits. The hybrids AC Melita × ICDW 21545 and Wagtail × Heines Deutscher Hartweizen are characterized by many positive effects of specific combinining ability

Multivariate diversity of Polish winter triticale cultivars for spike and other traits.

The objective of the present study was to determine the extent and pattern of genotypic diversity for six spike quantitative characters and two other traits in 36 winter triticale cultivars released in Poland, to classify the cultivars into similarity groups (clusters) and to identify those traits, among the studied ones, which mostly discriminated distinguished groups of cultivars. The 36 cultivars, released in the period from 1982 to 1999, were evaluated across three years 2002-2004 at the Experimental Field Station in Czesławice near Nałęczów, Poland. The experiments were carried out on the brown soil with loess subsoil. In each year the one-replicated experimental design was used with 2 m2 plots, rows 20 cm apart, and dense sowing using about 2 cm spacing of seeds. Analyses of variance for each trait data according to the random model (both cultivars and years were assumed to be random factors) were done. To classify and characterize genotypic diversity of the cultivars for the eight traits, the pattern analysis was used. It involved both cluster analysis using Ward’s procedure with a measure of the multivariate similarity among cultivars being Squared Euclidean Distance and canonical variate analysis (CVA) on the basis of cultivar BLUPs for the original traits. Quite different groups of cultivars for the studied traits were found, specially one group was substantially distanced to the others. As it was shown by CVA, spike length and number of spikelets per spike as negatively correlated with number of grains per spikelet in the studied set of the cultivars relatively largest contributed to overall differentiation of the distinguished eight groups and then, these traits best discriminated among the eight cultivar groups in the term of Mahalanobis distance for the considered traits. The 1000 grain weight and grain protein content much less contributed to overall discrimination of the cultivar groups than the previous four traits. The most important agronomic traits characterizing productivity of the spike grain weight and its two components, e.g. number of grains per spikelet and number of grains per spike had least discriminating power for the groups of cultivars. Grain yield per unit area of cereals is a result of spike grain yield and the number of spikes per unit area. In these studies of winter triticale cultivar diversity only grain spike yield and its components were included. Thus, the presented study are a primary evaluating of phenotypic diversity in the cultivars. The further study on the cultivar diversity evaluation for grain yield per unit area and its components is necessary...

Crop Harvesting Can Affect Habitat Selection of Wild Boar (Sus scrofa)

One of the basics of effectively managing a wild boar population is knowledge of its home range, spatial patterns, and habitat use. However, little is known about the reaction of wild boar to changes in the agricultural landscape during the time of harvesting. In this study, we assessed the impact of crop harvesting on habitat selection of wild boar. For this reason, we analyzed radio-collared animals in four summer months (from June to September) in an agricultural landscape in Poland. We analyzed the habitat selection by wild boar with a generalized linear model and Jacob’s selectivity index. The wild boar preference for arable land, pastures and the “other” category showed clear monthly dynamics. In contrast, a stable preference for forests and mosaics was observed throughout all months. The preference of wild boar to arable land dropped significantly in August, which we interpret as the impact of the harvest. We conclude that intensive agriculture contributes to significant changes in the frequency of wild boar in various habitats. This, however, does not apply to all habitats, because forest habitats are constantly visited by wild boar as their main daytime refuge. Moreover, extensive farming, although less attractive for wild boar, is rather neutral and does not alter the abundance of animals in habitats

Crop Harvesting Can Affect Habitat Selection of Wild Boar (<i>Sus scrofa</i>)

One of the basics of effectively managing a wild boar population is knowledge of its home range, spatial patterns, and habitat use. However, little is known about the reaction of wild boar to changes in the agricultural landscape during the time of harvesting. In this study, we assessed the impact of crop harvesting on habitat selection of wild boar. For this reason, we analyzed radio-collared animals in four summer months (from June to September) in an agricultural landscape in Poland. We analyzed the habitat selection by wild boar with a generalized linear model and Jacob’s selectivity index. The wild boar preference for arable land, pastures and the “other” category showed clear monthly dynamics. In contrast, a stable preference for forests and mosaics was observed throughout all months. The preference of wild boar to arable land dropped significantly in August, which we interpret as the impact of the harvest. We conclude that intensive agriculture contributes to significant changes in the frequency of wild boar in various habitats. This, however, does not apply to all habitats, because forest habitats are constantly visited by wild boar as their main daytime refuge. Moreover, extensive farming, although less attractive for wild boar, is rather neutral and does not alter the abundance of animals in habitats