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In this study, we evaluated the stripe rust resistance type and estimated the published resistance genes in 13 Roegneria species including 29 materials. Afterward, we conducted artificial crosses and investigated the morphology characters, genome constitution, and stripe rust resistance of the intergeneric hybrid F1 between stripe rust resistance Roegneria material and common wheat. The results showed as follows: 82.76% of the 29 tested materials exhibited stripe rust resistance at adult stage, and they contained more than 5 alleles of stripe rust resistance genes, which might still carry new resistance genes to wheat stripe rust. An intergeneric hybrids R. ciliaris-CSph2a F1 was generated using the screened high stripe rust resistance Roegneria ciliaris [Trin.] Nevski (ZY11004-R) and common wheat mutant CSph2a, and raised based on the embryo rescue technology. F1 hybrid contained 35 chromosomes with StYABD genome constitution and an average of 26.84 monovalents during pollen mother cell metaphase I. Besides, F1 exhibited morphological intermediacy, except the perennial living was inherited form from maternal R. ciliaris with high resistance to wheat stripe rust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perennial wheat yields for several years after sowing, and develops a deep and dense root system, thereby improving soil structure and preserving soil fertility. It is also drought resistant, which increases its future potential under the ongoing climate change. Moreover, perennial wheat offers and effective strategy for carbon sequestration through increasing soil carbon stocks. However, the effect of perennial wheat on soil properties remains uncertain in the conditions of south-eastern Kazakhstan due to the lack of data. To fill this gap, we conducted a study in which five varieties of perennial wheat were grown in the Almaty region in soils of different fertility for two years. As a result, in the plot where topsoil was removed to a depth of 25 cm, total carbon increased by nearly three times, from 0.54% to 1.42%, and the number of microorganisms increased from 715.1x103±0.2x103 to 48.0x103±0.6x103 colony forming units per ml of soil. The photosynthetic performance of perennial wheat varieties in the experimental plot was not negatively affected by the removal of top soil suggesting that perennial wheat can successfully restore soil fertility and replenish soil with chemical elements involved in photosynthesis. Our results confirm that in the conditions of the south-eastern Kazakhstan perennial wheat makes a significant contribution to the soil carbon stock accumulation and development of soil biota; in our study, these effects were particularly strong in the case of degraded soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The amino acid composition of compound feed is of great importance in feeding all kinds of animals. The lack of one or another amino acid limits the assimilation of other amino acids, resulting in excessive compound feed consumption, deterioration of the metabolism in the bodies of animals and increasing of their susceptibility to diseases. The use of grain heaps of wheat in the early ripening stages as feed raw materials is a promising direction for the development of the fodder base that will provide a balanced amino acid composition of compound feed with a lower content of expensive fish meal, which is the main source of protein in compound feeds. Aim of the Article. The article is aimed at determining the optimal ripening stage of spiked cereals, at which a high content of protein and proteinogenic amino acids is observed. The proposed technology and technological tools for early harvesting of spiked cereals will reduce agrotechnical terms of harvesting, reducing losses from shatter losses, and get grain of enhanced nutritive value. Materials and Methods. To study the amino acid composition, 4 samples of a winter wheat grain heap were taken: the winter wheat varieties Admiral and Luchezar, the perennial winter wheat (trititrigia) variety Pamyati Lyubimovoy and the gray wheatgrass variety Sova. Harvesting the wheat of these varieties was carried out by a combing-threshing unit in 5 phenological stages (growth stages are presented on the BBCH scale): 77 – late milk ripeness, 83 – early phase of wax ripeness, 87 – gold wax ripeness, 89 – full ripeness, 92 – overripeness. Results. The results of analyzing amino acid composition of 4 samples of wheat grain heap showed a high content of almost all the amino acids studied in the phase of gold wax ripeness, except of aspartic acid and asparagine, glutamic acid and glutamine, and tryptophan. Discussion and Conclusion. Grain heap of waxy ripeness wheat is a promising grain raw material for the production of compound feeds, which will reduce the amount of expensive components, such as fishmeal.

The use of wheat straw as a cellulose containing raw material for the production of sugars and other biologically valuable products can solve the problem of food products shortages, by supplying oligosaccharides, xylose and other valuable metabolites of microbial synthesis. In our experiment, straw of annual spring wheat of the Tulkibas variety and perennial wheat of the Sova variety was added to the enzyme solutions of Trichoderma harzianum 121 and Aspergillus awamori F-RKM 0719 strains. As a result, the variant A. awamori F-RKM 0719 + Sova straw showed the highest level of nitrogen (1.05%) and protein (6.5%). The highest concentration of amino acids, 7.14 mg/ml, was found in the perennial wheat sample, while the lowest concentration, 1.32 mg/ml, in the annual wheat sample. The total carbohydrate content in the straw of the annual and perennial wheat varieties differed, namely, the perennial wheat straw with the addition of A. awamori F-RKM 0719, contained fructose in the amount of 0.0079 mg/g, while in the annual wheat it was absent. The glucose content in the perennial wheat straw was three times higher than in the annual wheat straw, 0.0144 and 0.0035 mg/g, respectively. Based on our results, we recommend wheat straw for the use as a raw material for chemical and microbiological processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition from annual to perennial growth habits can contribute to increased sustainability and diversification of staple cropping systems like those based on annual wheat. Amphiploids between Triticum aestivum and Thinopyrum spp. can present a wheat-like morphology and post sexual cycle regrowth. The complex and unpredictable nature of the chromosomal rearrangements typical of inter-generic hybrids can hamper progress in the development of this new crop. By using fluorescence in situ hybridization, we described the genomic constitution of three perennial wheat breeding lines that regrew and completed a second year of production in field conditions in Washington state (USA). Two breeding lines presented stable, 56-chromosome partial amphiploids; however, their chromosome composition differed significantly. The third breeding line presented an unstable karyotype with a chromosome number ranging from 53 to 58 across eight individuals. The agronomic performance of the perennial breeding lines was evaluated for two growing seasons from 2020 to 2022. The grain yields of the perennial lines were lower than the grain production of the annual wheat control line in the first season. The perennial lines displayed vigorous regrowth after the initial harvest; however, worsening environmental conditions in the second season of growth hampered subsequent growth and grain yield. This information facilitates the breeding work necessary to improve key traits by grouping agronomically valuable individuals according to their genomic constitution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new crops (for example, by hybridization) requires significant costs, both resources and time, and therefore justified reasons. The work on the development of trititrigia (perennial wheat) variety ‘Pamyati Lyubimovoy’ has been carried out by the FSBSI «National Grain Center named after P.P. Lukyanenko» for almost 70 years. The development of such grain crop makes it possible to apply new technological methods and technical means to realize its potential. It is also necessary to establish the applicability of existing mechanization means in its cultivation in various natural and climatic zones of the Russian Federation, where it is possible to obtain and analyze data on its physical, mechanical and biological characteristics. Despite a big breakthrough in the development of trititrigia (it was included in the State List of Breeding Achievements in 2019), there are few scientific works devoted to it and there is not enough information about it, or it is contradictory, fragmentary, and it is almost impossible to meet such grain crop in the fields. In this regard, the purpose of the current work was to obtain statistically reliable information on the value of the force of kernel separation from a trititrigia ear of the variety ‘Pamyati Lyubimovoy’ in the dead-rape stage. This indicator is important for estimating such crop properties as self-shedding after reaching full ripeness, determining the degree of heavy threshing, which will make it possible to identify the features of its harvesting by existing combines. During the current study, there were used statistically generally accepted data processing methods, namely, the estimation of release, the normality of distribution using the Shapiro-Wilk test, and the comparative Student’s T-test. The average value of the separation force along the entire ear length was 5.16 N. When dividing the ear into zones: lower, central and upper (20, 60 and 20 % of the ear length from the point of attachment of the ear to the stem, respectively), the values were 4.3 H, 5.65 N and 5.27 N.

The transition from annual to perennial growth habits can contribute to increased sustainability and diversification of staple cropping systems like those based on annual wheat. Amphiploids between Triticum aestivum and Thinopyrum spp. can present a wheat-like morphology and post sexual cycle regrowth. The complex and unpredictable nature of the chromosomal rearrangements typical of inter-generic hybrids can hamper progress in the development of this new crop. By using fluorescence in situ hybridization, we described the genomic constitution of three perennial wheat breeding lines that regrew and completed a second year of production in field conditions in Washington state (USA). Two breeding lines presented stable, 56-chromosome partial amphiploids; however, their chromosome composition differed significantly. The third breeding line presented an unstable karyotype with a chromosome number ranging from 53 to 58 across eight individuals. The agronomic performance of the perennial breeding lines was evaluated for two growing seasons from 2020 to 2022. The grain yields of the perennial lines were lower than the grain production of the annual wheat control line in the first season. The perennial lines displayed vigorous regrowth after the initial harvest; however, worsening environmental conditions in the second season of growth hampered subsequent growth and grain yield. This information facilitates the breeding work necessary to improve key traits by grouping agronomically valuable individuals according to their genomic constitution.

Perennial grain crops have been proposed as environmentally sustainable alternatives to annual grain crop systems that currently dominate the world's major breadbaskets. Proponents emphasize the potential of perennial grains to mimic natural systems and thereby reduce soil erosion, nutrient losses, and degradation of soil quality although need for adequate grain yield is also recognized as a prerequisite for success. Here we assess progress since 2005 (16 y) towards development of perennial grain systems with sufficient productivity to be seen as competent alternatives to annual wheat on the prairies and plains of North America and Australia. Based on reports published in refereed journals, we see little evidence that yield of Intermediate Wheatgrass or perennial wheats have improved to the point they are viable alternatives. Slow progress is attributed to lack of minimum grain yield targets for economic viability, lack of designated target regions where perennial grains are most likely to be competitive against annuals, selection methods that focused on components of yield rather than yield per se (i.e. on an area basis), and relatively small R & D investment compared to resources given to genetic and agronomic improvement of major annual grain crops. Given current status, we conclude that perennial grains will require substantial R & D investment and several decades if they are to achieve sufficient yield potential and yield persistence to become more than a niche crop for upscale health food markets in wealthy countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perennial wheat is considered to be a practical way to increase the flexibility and profitability of sustainable agricultural system, as it can be either a forage grass or a grain crop. Four perennial wheat lines SX12-480, SX12-787, SX12-1150, and SX12-1269 were developed from a series of interspecific crosses between common wheat (Triticum aestivum, 2n = 42) or durum wheat (T. turgidum var. durum, 2n = 28) and the intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium, 2n = 42). These lines were characterized by the vigorous regrowth for at least 3 years. The one- and 2-year-old plants had higher grain yield potential than the 3-year-old perennial plants. The decline of grain yield was associated with plant age-related effects on yield components. The perennial wheat lines were all resistant to both Heterodera avenae and H. filipjevi, the two distinct cereal cyst nematode species that occur in China, except that line SX12-787 exhibited moderate resistance only to H. avenae. The dual-purpose perennial wheat lines were evaluated for quality values of both defoliated grass and harvested grains in the form of amino acid profile, mineral concentration, and contents of protein and fiber. Difference in the quality profile was observed between the perennial lines. These perennial lines had an overall improved quality levels over those of the perennial wheat control Montana-2 (T. turgidum × Th. intermedium) and the annual wheat cultivar Jinchun 9. The amplification profiles of the molecular markers provided molecular evidence for the introgression of alien chromatin. Genomic in situ hybridization detected 16, 14, 14, and 12 Th. intermedium chromosomes in lines SX12-480 (2n = 48), SX12-787 (2n = 56), SX12-1150 (2n = 56), and SX12-1269 (2n = 54), respectively, in addition to either 32 or the complete set of wheat chromosomes. The four perennial wheat-Th. intermedium lines described here provide valuable sources of perennial wheat for the dual-purpose application of both grain and forage.

Since wheat and other annual cereal crops are often harvested for forage instead of grain in California, replacing them with perennial crops could save energy and reduce the release of heat‐trapping gases. To assess the potential for perennial crops based on wheat, biomass yield and stand persistence were studied for nine wheat×wheatgrass amphiploids (8x to 14x) and five wheatgrass species (2x to 10x) over three seasons in the Central Valley, California. The 8x and 10x amphiploids died after one biomass harvest and a single summer period. In contrast, the 14x amphiploids, which were sterile, continued producing biomass over the entire period of the trial. They were also highly salt‐stress tolerant with little decline in biomass production in response to an increase in salinity from 100 and 250 mM NaCl in a solution‐culture study. The development of a salt‐stress‐tolerant perennial crop based on wheat for the California‐type climate will require either a substantial improvement in perennial growth of low‐ploidy (8x) amphiploids or the development of technology for efficient vegetative propagation of the sterile high‐ploidy (14x) amphiploids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perennial wheat is considered to be a practical way to increase the flexibility and profitability of sustainable agricultural system, as it can be either a forage grass or a grain crop. Four perennial wheat lines SX12-480, SX12-787, SX12-1150, and SX12-1269 were developed from a series of interspecific crosses between common wheat (Triticum aestivum , 2n = 42) or durum wheat (T. turgidum var. durum , 2n = 28) and the intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium , 2n = 42). These lines were characterized by the vigorous regrowth for at least 3 years. The one- and 2-year-old plants had higher grain yield potential than the 3-year-old perennial plants. The decline of grain yield was associated with plant age-related effects on yield components. The perennial wheat lines were all resistant to both Heterodera avenae and H. filipjevi , the two distinct cereal cyst nematode species that occur in China, except that line SX12-787 exhibited moderate resistance only to H. avenae. The dual-purpose perennial wheat lines were evaluated for quality values of both defoliated grass and harvested grains in the form of amino acid profile, mineral concentration, and contents of protein and fiber. Difference in the quality profile was observed between the perennial lines. These perennial lines had an overall improved quality levels over those of the perennial wheat control Montana-2 (T. turgidum × Th. intermedium) and the annual wheat cultivar Jinchun 9. The amplification profiles of the molecular markers provided molecular evidence for the introgression of alien chromatin. Genomic in situ hybridization detected 16, 14, 14, and 12 Th. intermedium chromosomes in lines SX12-480 (2n = 48), SX12-787 (2n = 56), SX12-1150 (2n = 56), and SX12-1269 (2n = 54), respectively, in addition to either 32 or the complete set of wheat chromosomes. The four perennial wheat- Th. intermedium lines described here provide valuable sources of perennial wheat for the dual-purpose application of both grain and forage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perennial grains are being developed to improve the environmental sustainability of grain production systems. However, to maximise their commercial viability, a clearer understanding of their food processing properties is required. In this study, the functional properties of selected perennial wheat breeding lines grown at sites in central New South Wales, Australia, were compared to each other and an annual bread wheat cultivar. Lines were assessed for grain yield parameters, rheological properties (wholemeal and refined flour), starch properties, milling yield and refined flour baking quality. Perennial wheats were found to differ from expected behaviours attributed to annual wheat, offering novel combinations of grain characteristics. Despite softer grain and rheological tests indicating only moderate gluten strength, several lines exhibited better baking performance than the conventional bread wheat control. Furthermore, flour water absorption was found to decrease with increasing grain hardness, the opposite of that normally observed for annual wheat. The results demonstrated that with appropriate breeding and selection, perennial wheat offers good potential for baking. [Display omitted] • Perennial cereals offer potential to improve the environmental sustainability of grain production. • Perennial wheat end-use function diverged from presumptive tests for baking quality applied to annual wheat. • Soft grained perennial wheats with moderate gluten strength exhibited good baking performance. • For perennial wheats, milling yield and flour hydration were found to decrease with increasing grain hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applied various chromatographic methods to assess the chemical composition of five selected perennial and annual wheat seed varieties cultivated in Kazakhstan. Gas Chromatography (GC) analysis revealed distinct fatty acid profiles, with perennial, soft, and durum annual wheat seeds displaying varying levels of saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (SFA: 10.538 - 19.676%, MUFA: 17.124 - 23.131%, PUFA: 58.649 - 66.938%). HPLC analysis uncovered significant differences in the content of total non-essential amino acids (TNEA) and essential amino acids (TEA). Among the analysed varieties, "Sova" had the highest TNEA content (4464.70 mg/g) with aspartic acid as the predominant amino acid (4146.35 mg/g), while "704" displayed the highest TEA content (579.95 mg/g) with tyrosine as the dominant amino acid (219.98 mg/g). These findings highlight the potential of Kazakh wheat varieties as rich sources of essential nutrients and hold promise for improving public health.

Nearly a century has passed since the first crosses were made between wheat ( Triticum L.) and perennial Triticeae relatives with the goal of developing a perennial grain and forage crop. Numerous crosses of different species and genera have been attempted, and many have yielded fertile hybrids. Despite these successes, a definitive taxonomic treatment of stable hybrids has never been established. 'Perennial wheat' is the term commonly used to refer to these hybrids when the traits of interest are the perennial growth habit and grain yield, regardless of parentage. In order to establish a consistent system in which researchers can effectively communicate and collaborate, it is important to characterize unique combinations. In this paper we briefly outline the history of perennial wheat breeding, suggest a naming convention based on the International Code for Nomenclature and describe one combination within the new nothogenus × Tritipyrum. The development of perennial grains has the potential to allow for new agricultural systems that take advantage of the persistent nature of the crop. The taxonomic definition of this new crop type will help focus research and breeding efforts as well as organize the literature and facilitate collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perennial wheat has been proposed to alleviate long standing issues with soil erosion in annual cropping systems, while supporting rural communities and providing grain farmers with a marketable climateresilient crop. The Washington State University perennial wheat breeding program has created several hundred interspecific progeny by crossing several different cultivars of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with Thinopyrum species and 9 Agrotriticum spp. Prior to the chromosome composition of these wheat-wheatgrass derivatives was not characterized, limiting their utility as stable breeding germplasm. We determined the mitotic chromosome number and species origin of chromosomes for eight breeding lines, and estimated their relatedness and population structure using AFLPs. Additionally, self pollination and outcrossing rates were estimated for these breeding lines to gain an understanding of perennial wheat’s reproductive strategy. We intercrossed the lines with each other to produce 20 families and then measured the level of chromosome pairing during meiosis I in the F1 progeny. The lines contained between 44 and 64 chromosomes, of which eight to 16 were from Th. ponticum. Our analysis of molecular diversity indicated greater genetic diversity within, rather than across, breeding lines (88 and 12%, respectively). The outcrossing rate was estimated at 16%. Understanding chromosome number and origin is necessary for developing a population of breeding lines that can be used as parents. Our results suggest that the perennial wheat breeding lines act as a single diverse population that can be improved using breeding strategies for inbred and outcrossing crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perennial grain crops are an example of a ‘transformative technology,’ in which the functionality and science of the technology differ in a fundamental manner from conventional grain crops. A review of the literature indicates that the motivation for farmer adoption of transformative technologies is complex and poorly understood. At the same time, many studies have found concern and awareness about environmental issues to be significantly and positively correlated with the adoption of no-till agriculture, organic farming and agroforestry. Building on these insights, we conducted an ex ante study of perennial wheat adoption among 11 farmers from Michigan and Ohio. Perennial wheat is not yet commercially available, so a semi-structured interview format was chosen to allow for in-depth discussions of the crop's potential characteristics and uses. Consistent with the literature on transformative technology adoption, farmers who approached us to learn more about perennial grains described soil and environmental quality as their primary motivations for doing so. Farmers suggested a total of ten different uses for perennial wheat, only one of which was mentioned specifically by interviewers. This diversity of proposed uses implied a wide range of criteria for adoption. A striking result was that the ability of perennial wheat to compete with annual wheat on the basis of yield, a focus of researchers, was brought up by only one of the interviewees, as many farmers proposed perennial wheat as a means of solving a problem for which no other crop provided an adequate solution, often by planting perennial wheat on an under-used or marginal area of the farm. This is suggestive that interacting with farmers could alter priorities in perennial grain improvement, as has occurred in other radically transformative agriculture technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Four perennial wheat genotypes derived from crosses between Triticum aestivum and Thinopyrum elongatum, Th. intermedium or Th. ponticum were grown in Central Italy over 2 years of testing, and compared for their agronomical, biochemical, nutritional and technological traits with three commercial common wheat cultivars. Perennial wheat derivatives were characterized by post-harvest regrowth, small kernels, high number of tillers, high protein content and reduced sodium dodecyl sulphate sedimentation volume. Lines 11955 and OK72 exhibited soft kernel texture due to wild-type alleles at the puroindoline loci, whereas lines 235A and 280B produced medium-hard kernels for the presence of novel puroindolines A and B inherited from Th. elongatum and Th. intermedium, respectively. In addition, perennial wheat genotypes presented a high content of carotenoids and 5-n-alkylresorcinols compared with their annual counterparts. AR composition of line 235A, as determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, was characterized by a high percentage (64.7 %) of long-chain (C21:0 + C23:0 + C25:0) homologues, which are claimed to prevent cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In addition, line OK72 was unique in having a C17/C21 homologue ratio as high as 0.34, likely inherited from Th. ponticum. This line along with line 280B also showed a high content of total dietary fiber. Finally, peculiar storage protein composition and kernel texture were observed in some perennial durum wheat derivatives obtained from crosses between T. turgidum subsp. durum and Th. junceiforme. This wheatgrass species was found to contain the 10-mer QQPQDAVQPF peptide, which is able to prevent prolamins from triggering inflammatory responses in celiac patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the nature of summer dormancy in E. scaber and reports on hybridisation attempts with a range of wheat genotypes to determine the suitability of E. scaber as a donor species in the development of 'perennial wheat'. In a field experiment, E. scaber populations sourced from agro-ecologically diverse sites in south-eastern Australia, were subjected to three irrigation treatments to test their level of summer dormancy. The tillering reaction to opportunistic summer moisture was the same across all populations and suggests that summer dormancy is facultative in populations of E. scaber, rather than complete as previously reported. Using E. scaber as a pollen source, attempts were made to fertilise 16 wheat cultivars, used as emasculated female parents. Two rescue techniques were used to recover immature embryos at 24-48 h and 14 days post-pollination. Pollinated wheat spikes showed high proportions of early seed set, indicating fertilisation was taking place, however embryo recovery was very low. Several putative hybrid plants were recovered from both rescue techniques. PCR testing of the recovered plants was unable to detect E. scaber DNA and surviving plants were entirely like the wheat parent and fully fertile, suggesting either these plants were the result of rare self-pollination or doubled haploids following E. scaber chromosome elimination. The short lived nature of E. scaber along with challenges associated with crossing this species to wheat, has led the authors to conclude that E. scaber is not a priority candidate to be used as a perennial donor species in perennial grain development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study evaluated over 150 wheat×wheatgrass derivatives in a series of field experiments. The objective was to assess their capacity to regrow post-harvest and yield grain over successive years, and thereby identify characteristics common to the surviving breeding lines. Over the 3-year experimental period 61% of the 176 experimental entries demonstrated some capacity for post-harvest regrowth. Of 125 entries planted in the first two years of experimentation, 34% persisted to produce a second grain harvest in year 2. Three entries from 73 planted in 2008 persisted to produce grain in 3 successive years. In a subset of 87 entries that underwent cytogenetic analysis there was an association between regrowth ability and the presence of at least one whole genome equivalent (14 chromosomes) from the perennial donor species. If the wheat parent was a hexaploid (2n =42), an entry required at least 56 chromosomes to achieve any substantial post-harvest regrowth. However, the presence of 56 chromosomes was no guarantee of a capacity to survive post-harvest. The morphology of the hybrid germplasm was highly variable for every trait assessed including grain yield, grain size, grain quality, harvest index, tiller height and head morphology; reflective of the diversity of pedigrees. Narrower kernels appeared to be associated with higher grain protein concentrations. Unextractable polymeric protein (UPP) correlates with rheological properties of the doughs; some of the experimental entries had very low UPP; the majority had high UPP suggesting useful flour, dough and baking properties. A high level of disease resistance was observed in the subset of entries tested for leaf, stem and stripe rust as well as wheat streak mosaic virus, indicating that further development of hybrid germplasm would be unlikely to pose an unacceptable disease threat to conventional cereal crops, particularly where amphiploids were deployed. The variability of the cohort and the presence of entries with desirable agronomic and grain quality attributes suggested a potential to breed and select for perennial wheat derivatives with commercially desirable characteristics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With 4 tables Perennial wheat is emerging as a potential long-term response to agroecological problems resulting from soil erosion. We conducted field scale trials of 31 F5 (2005-2006) and five F6 (2006-2007) amphiploid breeding lines derived from Thinopyrum elongatum/ Triticum aestivum (cv. 'Chinese Spring')// T. aestivum (cv. 'Madsen') crosses. Here, we report results on post-sexual cycle regrowth (PSCR) and grain yield in the amphiploid lines and two annual wheat cultivars from three locations in Washington State, USA. Per cent plants per plot exhibiting PSCR varied significantly among genotypes and ranged from 18% to 81% (μ = 45%) in the amphiploids, with no PSCR apparent in the annual cultivars. The mean grain yields of the amphiploid lines were 632, 2086 and 2226 kg/ha at each location; approximately 44% (range = 20-93%) of the annual wheat. Absence of genotype × environment interactions for PSCR suggests that selection for broad adaptation of the PSCR trait across locations and years would be possible. No relationship existed between grain yield and regrowth among the lines exhibiting PSCR, indicating potential for simultaneous selection of these traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of perennial wheat cultivars in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) region of the U.S. addresses the need for alternative cropping systems that reduce soil erosion and degradation from mechanical tillage. Selection of parental lines will be especially important for breeding perennial wheat. Here we describe the karyotypes of three cultivars of bluebunch wheatgrass, Pseudoroegnaria spicata [Pursh] A. Love, and one cultivar of Snake River wheatgrass, Elymus wawawaiensis. These four cultivars are wild relatives of wheat that are adapted to the low rainfall regions of the PNW and can be crossed with bread wheat (Triticum aestivuin L.) using traditional breeding methods. Chromosome number, arm ratio, relative length and centromere index are given for Ps. spicata cultivars 'Whitmar' (ssp. inermis), 'Goldar' (ssp. spicata), and 'Anatone' (ssp. spicata), and the E. wawawaiensis cultivar 'Secar'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]