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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 61(9)

Photoperiod and vernalization gene effects in southern Australian wheat

H. A. Eagles A I , Karen Cane B , Haydn Kuchel C , G. J. Hollamby C , Neil Vallance D E , R. F. Eastwood F , N. N. Gororo G and P. J. Martin H
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Molecular Plant Breeding CRC, and School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Campus, University of Adelaide, PMB1, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia.

B Molecular Plant Breeding CRC, and Department of Primary Industries, PB260, Horsham, Vic. 3401, Australia.

C Australian Grain Technologies, Roseworthy Campus, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia.

D Department of Primary Industries, Mallee Research Station, Walpeup, Vic. 3507, Australia.

E Present address: Dodgshun Medlin, Ouyen Shire Office, Oke Street, Ouyen, Vic. 3490, Australia.

F Australian Grain Technologies, PB260, Horsham, Vic. 3401, Australia.

G Nuseed Pty Ltd, PB377, Horsham, Vic. 3401, Australia.

H Industry & Investment NSW, Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia.

I Corresponding author. Email: Howard.Eagles@adelaide.edu.au

Crop and Pasture Science 61(9) 721-730 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP10121
Submitted: 7 April 2010  Accepted: 22 July 2010   Published: 9 September 2010

Abstract

Photoperiod and vernalization genes are important for the optimal adaptation of wheat to different environments. Diagnostic markers are now available for Vrn-A1, Vrn-B1, Vrn-D1 and Ppd-D1, with all four genes variable in southern Australian wheat-breeding programs. To estimate the effects of these genes on days to heading we used data from 128 field experiments spanning 24 years.

From an analysis of 1085 homozygous cultivars and breeding lines, allelic variation for these four genes accounted for ~45% of the genotypic variance for days to heading. In the presence of the photoperiod-insensitive allele of Ppd-D1, differences between the winter genotype and genotypes with a spring allele at one of the genes ranged from 3.5 days for Vrn-B1 to 4.9 days for Vrn-D1. Smaller differences occurred between genotypes with a spring allele at one of the Vrn genes and those with spring alleles at two of the three genes. The shortest time to heading occurred for genotypes with spring alleles at both Vrn-A1 and Vrn-D1. Differences between the photoperiod-sensitive and insensitive alleles of Ppd-D1 depended on the genotype of the vernalization genes, being greatest when three spring alleles were present (11.8 days) and least when the only spring allele was at Vrn-B1 (3.7 days). Because of these epistatic interactions, for the practical purposes of using these genes for cross prediction and marker-assisted selection we concluded that using combinations of alleles of genes simultaneously would be preferable to summing effects of individual genes.

The spring alleles of the vernalization genes responded differently to the accumulation of vernalizing temperatures, with the common spring allele of Vrn-A1 showing the least response, and the spring allele of Vrn-D1 showing a response that was similar to, but less than, a winter genotype.

Additional keywords: adaptation, association genetics, breeding, epistasis, heading, relationship matrix.


Acknowledgments

We thank Mr Greg Grimes and the staff of the Australian Winter Cereals Collection for seed of many of the historical varieties. We thank Dr Ben Trevaskis of CSIRO, Canberra, Australia, for useful primers for identifying alleles of Vrn-A1. We thank the field technical teams at Roseworthy, Horsham, Temora and Wagga Wagga for their extensive contribution. We thank the Grains Research and Development Corporation for their financial support.


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