Genetic characterization of a light-green wheat mutant selected for potassium accumulation

摘要

A wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var durum) mutant, designated k-plus, constitutively possesses high leaf potassium content and light-green leaves. To study the genetic basis of these traits and to find out their association, k-plus mutant was crossed tocv. Trinakria to develop Fl and F2 populations. The flag leaf of parental lines, Fl and F2 progeny were assayed for ion content at the heading stage. Potassium content was greater in k-plus than in cv Trinakria, the Fl progeny being similar to parentalcv Trinakria in both potassium and leaf colour. The number of genes conditioning leaf potassium content, was not more than one as estimated by Castle-Wright method. A single recessive locus was found to control potassium content in the k-plus mutant. Broad sense heritability proved to be sufficient to obtain progress from selection, of k-plus phenotype. Light-green leaf colour was inherited as a monogenic recessive allele, which co-segregated with the locus controlling potassium accumulation. Light-green sub-population had, on the average, significantly more potassium content than green F2 sub-population.