Genetic diversity for grain nutrients in wild emmer wheat: potential for wheat improvement |
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| Authors: | Merav Chatzav Zvi Peleg Levent Ozturk Atilla Yazici Tzion Fahima Ismail Cakmak Yehoshua Saranga |
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| Institution: | 1The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Science and Genetics in Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel;2Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey;3Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, The Institute of Evolution, Faculty of Science and Science Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel |
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| Abstract: | Background and AimsMicronutrient malnutrition, particularly zinc and iron deficiency, afflicts over three billion people worldwide due to low dietary intake. In the current study, wild emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides), the progenitor of domesticated wheat, was tested for (1) genetic diversity in grain nutrient concentrations, (2) associations among grain nutrients and their relationships with plant productivity, and (3) the association of grain nutrients with the eco-geographical origin of wild emmer accessions.MethodsA total of 154 genotypes, including wild emmer accessions from across the Near Eastern Fertile Crescent and diverse wheat cultivars, were characterized in this 2-year field study for grain protein, micronutrient (zinc, iron, copper and manganese) and macronutrient (calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and sulphur) concentrations.Key ResultsWide genetic diversity was found among the wild emmer accessions for all grain nutrients. The concentrations of grain zinc, iron and protein in wild accessions were about two-fold greater than in the domesticated genotypes. Concentrations of these compounds were positively correlated with one another, with no clear association with plant productivity, suggesting that all three nutrients can be improved concurrently with no yield penalty. A subset of 12 populations revealed significant genetic variation between and within populations for all minerals. Association between soil characteristics at the site of collection and grain nutrient concentrations showed negative associations between soil clay content and grain protein and between soil-extractable zinc and grain zinc, the latter suggesting that the greatest potential for grain nutrient minerals lies in populations from micronutrient-deficient soils.ConclusionsWild emmer wheat germplasm offers unique opportunities to exploit favourable alleles for grain nutrient properties that were excluded from the domesticated wheat gene pool. |
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| Keywords: | grain quality iron macronutrient micronutrient protein Triticum turgidum ssp dicoccoides wheat improvement zinc |
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