COMPARISON OF CROSSABILITIES OF TETRAPLOID WHEAT WITH HORDEUM-BULBOSUM AND MAIZE

The crossabilities of twenty tetraploid wheat (Triticum turgidum L. va r. durum) varieties with Hordeum bulbosum L. and maize (Zea mays L.) w ere compared. The embryo formation frequencies had variations ranging from 0.0% to 26.3% in crosses with H. bulbosum, and 0.0% to 20.6% in c rosses with maize. A significant correlation coefficient (r=0.540, P<0 .05) was obtained for embryo formation frequencies between H. bulbosum and maize crosses, indicating that some genetic factor(s) controls th e crossabilities in these crosses. In comparison with the results prev iously published on hexaploid wheat (T. aestivum L.), it is also suppo sed that absence of D genome in tetraploid wheat results in the crossa bility variation in crosses with maize.