Genetic study of androgenetic parameters by diallel analyses in wheat populations (Triticum aestivum L.)

The results of a semidiallel cross on seven pure parental lines were used t o study the genetic control and medium effect of haploid regeneration in th e anther culture of wheat. The seven genotypes, which oroginated from a com posite population, were: IBPT 19, IBPT 25, IBPT 31, IPBT 40, IBPT 45, IPBT 74 and IBPT 78. The composite cross population (IBPT) is a genetic pool dev eloped by INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, France). The pool was obtained from a pyramidal cross of 16 pure lines (Thomas et al. 1 991). The seven pure lines were selected in a previous study for their high or low capacity to produce embryos, and to regenerate green or albiono pla nts (Moieni and Sarrafi 1995). Anther culture was performed in two differen t liquid induction media (CHB and W14) and a number of androgenetic traits were studied. The values for the CHB medium were higher than those of the W 14 medium for all the traits studied. The results indicate the importance o f both genotype and induction medium for the anther culture response in whe at. The significant values of general combining ability indicate the import ance of additive generic control for embryo production, and for green and t otal plant regeneration in both induction media. The specific combining abi lity was only significant for embryo formation in the W14 induction medium. Most of the genotypic variance was due to GCA effects, indicating that add itive genetic variance was more important than non-additive in determining the inheritance of the observed characters. The graphical analysis also ind icated that non-additive genetic variation was present as dominance only. T he value of narrow sense heritability was between h(2)=0.5 and h(2)=0.6 for all the parameters investigated, except for albino plant regeneration. The results show the role of both environmental and genetic components in impr oving the androgenetic parameters.