Integrating physiological traits in local small grains breeding program

Abstract

Wheat yield has continuously been increasing over the last century, as a result of improvement in crop production technology and breeding progress. However, annual genetic gains in cereals are between 0.5–1.0 percent, showing stagnation in many regions across the world. In or-der to increase grain yield genetic progress, different strategies based on genomics data or physiological traits have to be integrated in breeding activities. Physiological approach in conventional wheat breeding is based on the crosses of parents with desirable complex physiological traits, and progeny selection according to important physiological traits. During the past ten years, different physiological strategies have been applied in regular breeding activities at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad, Serbia. First of all, small grains gene bank at the Institute has been screened according to different physiological traits, such as NDVI values, infrared temperature and chlorophyll index. Some physiological analysis, such as chlorophyll fluorescence or stomatal conductance, have been identified as labour and time consuming, restricting their application in regular breeding activities at the Institute. Further-more, each growing season several crosses of parents bearing desirable complementary physiological traits are made and progenies with increased NDVI and chlorophyll index are selected. Currently, several new wheat “physiological” lines have been included in preliminary multilocation testing, with high chance to be released as potential new cultivars to the market during the next two or three years. Further integration of physiological breeding with high throughput phenotyping and genomic selection could be promising strategies for additional small grains yield improvement.