1. Genetic variability and heritability of agronomic traits in a wheat collection used in southern Brazil
- Author
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Rebeca Catanio Fernandes, Carlos Busanello, Eduardo Venske, Camila Pegoraro, Victoria Freitas de Oliveira, Jennifer Luz Lopes, Antonio Costa de Oliveira, Luciano Carlos da Maia, and Vívian Ebeling Viana
- Subjects
education.field_of_study ,Population ,Inheritance (genetic algorithm) ,food and beverages ,Plant Science ,Biology ,Heritability ,Agronomy ,Genetic gain ,Trait ,Genetic variability ,Cultivar ,education ,Agronomy and Crop Science ,Selection (genetic algorithm) ,Biotechnology - Abstract
Wheat is a staple food for a large part of the world's population and faces a continuous demand for increased productivity. The presence of genetic variability allows the success in developing cultivars with higher yield. The understanding of the genetic variability available is crucial for their effective use in breeding programs. Inheritance of wheat yield components is complex, due to polygenic control and the strong influence of the environment. Therefore, an accurate heritability estimation can accelerate the selection gains towards increasing wheat yield. Thus, this study aimed to characterize agronomic traits related to yield in a collection of 99 wheat accessions used in Brazil. In addition, the heritability of these traits was estimated. The studied accessions showed variability for yield, which can be explained by the presence of variability in most yield components. Cluster analysis showed that there is variability in wheat genotypes, however, the introduction of new sources of variability in crossing blocks or the induction of mutations is suggested. The broad-sense heritability for grain yield was considered high, as well as for most of the studied agronomic traits, suggesting that it is possible to obtain genetic gain with selection in this environment. However, for greater accuracy, genetic gain values should be estimated and considered when designing selection strategies. Hectoliter weight showed low heritability, demonstrating the complexity of selection for this trait. In summary, this study demonstrates the presence of genetic variability and high heritability for agronomic traits, enabling genetic gain in breeding programs using these wheat accessions.
- Published
- 2021
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