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Emmer wheat has not been improved but is a valuable gene source for improving durum (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum). Conversely, durum is less looked upon for emmer (T. turgidum ssp. dicoccum) improvement. This study examined the possibility of concurrently improving the two species by crossing eight durum cultivars with four emmer local varieties in a half‐diallel fashion in two consecutive years. Also, emmer and two durum genotypes were reciprocally backcrossed, and their BC1F1 progeny were field‐evaluated during the wheat cropping season (November–June) at the Isfahan University of Technology research farm (32°32′ N, 51°23′ E). The results showed that durum wheat had a considerable effect on the grain yield (GY), kernel diameter, 1,000‐kernel weight (TKW), and test weight of F1 hybrids, whereas emmer contributed more to increasing the grain protein content (GPC), kernel length, and plant height (PH). A similar pattern was observed for BC1F1 hybrids from the two recurrent durum parents. The GPC was reduced with recurrent durum parents in the backcrosses compared with emmer, but was still higher than in both durum parents. In the backcrosses with the recurrent emmer parent, GY and TKW were higher than those of emmer but only slightly lower than those of the durum parents. The PH was strongly influenced by emmer in all crosses, though the lodging was significantly reduced compared with emmer, possibly through obtaining stronger stems from durum. These findings suggest the possibility of combining desirable genes from the two species and their concurrent improvement in a single breeding program. Core Ideas: Simultaneously improving durum and emmer wheat is possible through reciprocal hybridization.Durum significantly affects grain yield; emmer contributes to higher protein & kernel length.Higher protein content likely resulted from the functional NAM‐B1 allele in the emmer parent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to a lack of assessment tools for large samples, the effects of foliar Zn and Fe applications on grain nutritional and quality traits for wheat genotypes from diverse species and poloidal levels under water-limited conditions are less addressed. With the availability of simple/rapid solvent retention capacity (SRC) tests to assess a large number of samples for grain quality attributes, thirty-five wheat genotypes from 18 different species were field evaluated under four treatments of control, zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and Zn + Fe foliar applications in two moisture regimes. Grain yield (GY) and thousand kernel weight (TKW) decreased due to water stress, while the grain quality traits including SRC values, flour protein content (FPC), Zn, and Fe content increased. Although diploid species showed higher FPC, grain Zn, and Fe than tetraploid (4x) and hexaploid (6x) species across all treatments, they presented much lower SRC values attributed to protein quality. Zinc application increased SRC profiles for 4x and 6x wheat and alleviated GY and TKW reduction due to water stress. A significant correlation between various grain and flour parameters confirmed the validity of the results and SRC quality predictions. [Display omitted] • Diploid wheat had higher grain protein than 4x and 6x but showed lower SRC values. • Wheat quality attributes including protein increased under water stress. • Yield reduction was more evident in 2x and 4x than 6x wheat in water stress. • Zinc treatment enhanced wheat yield and quality traits, especially in water stress. • Solvent retention capacity correlated with all other quality traits almost perfectly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]