H. Shimelis and M.D. Laing

African Centre for Crop Improvement (ACCI)

School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences

University of KwaZulu-Natal

Republic of South Africa

shimelish@ukzn.ac.za

Variation and agronomic potential

of semi-arid wheat germplasm in the

Limpopo Province of South Africa

IMPORTANT POINTS

47 CIMMYT Drought Tolerant (DT) lines & 2 local wheat

cultivars screened for yield and components in a semi-arid

agro-ecology in the northern South Africa

Best yield at 8.6 t ha -1 vs. 3.74 t ha -1 of local check

5 DT lines with excellent yield and agronomic traits are

selected for direct production in Limpopo, South Africa

Several lines with extreme performance on important traits

to be used as donor parents in backcross breeding

Drought is a major limiting factor of

wheat production globally

Successful breeding for drought

resistance would be extremely valuable

Different traits are available that are

consistently associated with higher

grain yield under drought conditions

INTRODUCTION

Drought is one of the major constraints of

wheat production in South Africa.

Limpopo Province - semi-arid = 300-400 mm p.a.

rainfall, restricting wheat production.

CIMMYT has developing candidate genotypes for

semi-arid and unfavorable environments.

Exploiting the genetic potential of these

germplasm for improved drought and heat

resistance is important for SA.

INTRODUCTION

OBJECTIVES

1. To determine genetic variation and

potential of semi-arid wheat germplasm

for yield and important agronomic

traits in Limpopo Province.

2. Select suitable parents and introgress

traits into desirable genetic background

to develop drought and heat stress

resistant cultivars.

OBJECTIVES MATERIALS AND METHODS

49 diverse bread wheat lines used; 47

bred for semi-arid environments and

two commercial local checks

(SST822, SST825) included as

comparative controls.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Field experiments conducted (2007 and

2008) in Limpopo Province at the

Experimental Farm of the University of

Limpopo.

Design: partially balanced lattice –

7 incomplete blocks, 3 replications

Parameters measured:

Yield and agronomic traits linked with

Early or Terminal stress resistance

Data analysis:

Agrobase Gen II and SAS Lattice procedure

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Observed variations:

• days to heading 52.62 - 98.91 days

• plant height 570 – 989.5 mm

• tiller numbers 8 - 24 per plant

• days to maturity 126 - 147 days

• spikelet length 53.3 - 130 mm

• No. spikelets per spike 11 - 31

• No. kernels per spike 8 - 46

• hundred kernel weight 3.33 - 6.34 g

• Yield 2.42 - 8.58 t ha-1

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Key performers Early Heading (days)

304=53, 338=79 vs. 301=95 ; 321=99

Reduced Plant Height (mm)

311 & 307=580, 303=640 vs. 348=980

High Tiller Numbers

319=24, 311=22 vs. 304=8

Maturity Date (days)

325=126; 302, 326=127, vs. 301=147

Spike Length (mm)

323=130; 317, 322=120 vs. 334=70

Spikelets Per Spike

323=31, 307=30, 322=27 vs. 310, 343=11

Kernels Per Spike

323=46; 326, 334, 336=44 vs. 317=8

Hundred Kernel Weight (g)

336=6.34; 305, 322, 323, 324=5.3 vs. 321=4

High Yield (t ha-1)

336=8.6, 326=8.2; 302, 338=8 vs. 337=2.4

Key performers

• Seed yield positively correlated (P<0.01) with

tiller number, spike length, number of

spikelets per spike, and hundred kernel weight.

• Lines 336, 326, 302, 338 and 322 selected with

excellent yield and agronomic traits under

semi-arid conditions and can be screened for

flour quality

Figure. Rotated principal component scores and percent

explained variance showing similarities among 49 entries

of T. aestivum

Some lines have good agronomic attributes e.g.

304 is early maturing (53 d), 307 and 311 with

short plant height (570 mm) but low tillering and

low yield. These and other lines could serve as

donor parents.

Further improvement of wheat for water limited

and marginal environments is possible using the

germplasm characterized here

Wheat trials at Syferkuil,

Limpopo, 2008

Wheat trials at Syferkuil,

Limpopo, 2008

Bird scaring ribbons

Further evaluation and selection of best lines x

Agro-ecologies in the Province

Screen for quality traits and drought tolerance

Backcrosses: earliness x good yield & agronomic

traits

Test other sources of drought or heat shock

resistant germplasm

Future Research

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

• The National Research Foundation (NRF)

• CIMMYT

• The Generation Challenge Program (GCP)

No. Line/pedigree No. Line/pedigree

301 SST822 326 PASTOR//TODY/BAU/3/PASTOR

302 PBW343 327 RL6043/4*NAC//2*PASTOR

303 CHAM 6 328 RL6043/4*NAC//2*PASTOR

304 KLEIN CHAMACO 329 RL6043/4*NAC//2*PASTOR

305 HIDHAB 330 RL6043/4*NAC//2*PASTOR

306 DHARWAR DRY 331 CROC_1/AE.SQUARROSA (224)//OPATA/3/PASTOR/4/JARU

307 FRTL/CMH83.2517 332 CROC_1/AE.SQUARROSA (224)//OPATA/3/PASTOR/4/JARU

308 FRTL/CMH83.2517 333 ALTAR 84/AE.SQ//2*OPATA/3/PIFED

309 FRAME*2/3/URES/JUN//KAUZ 334 CHEN/AE.SQ//OPATA/3/PASTOR

310 SARA/THB//VEE/3/BJY/COC//PRL/BOW 335 KRICHAUFF/2*PASTOR

311 ALTAR 84/AEGILOPS SQUARROSA (TAUS)//OPATA/3/BAU/MILAN 336 KRICHAUFF/2*PASTOR

312 PASTOR/FLORKWA.1//PASTOR 337 AUS GS50AT41//HXL8246/KAUZ/3/CUNNINGHAM

313 ALTAR 84/AEGILOPS SQUARROSA (TAUS)//OPATA/3/2*PJN/BOW//OPATA 338 WORRAKATTA/PASTOR

314 CHAM6/ATTILA//PASTOR 339 KABY//2*ALUBUC/BAYA

315 CROC_1/AE.SQUARROSA (224)//OPATA/3/PASTOR/4/PASTOR*2/OPATA 340 ATTILA/BABAX//PASTOR

316 CROC_1/AE.SQUARROSA (224)//OPATA/3/ALTAR 84/ AEGILOPS SQUARROSA (TAUS)//OPATA/4/PASTOR

341 ALTAR 84/AEGILOPS SQUARROSA (TAUS)//OCI/3/VEE/MJI//2*TUI

317 CROC_1/AE.SQUARROSA (224)//OPATA/3/ALTAR 84/ AEGILOPS SQUARROSA (TAUS)//OPATA/4/PASTOR

342 ALTAR 84/AEGILOPS SQUARROSA (TAUS)//OCI/3/VEE/MJI//2*TUI

318 CROC_1/AE.SQUARROSA (224)//OPATA/3/ALTAR 84/ AEGILOPS SQUARROSA (TAUS)//OPATA/4/PASTOR

343 MILAN/KAUZ//PRINIA/3/BABAX

319 ATTILA/PASTOR//PASTOR 344 MILAN/KAUZ//PRINIA/3/BABAX

320 ATTILA/PASTOR//PASTOR 345 CNO79//PF70354/MUS/3/PASTOR/4/CROC_1/AE.SQUARROSA (224)//OPATA

321 SST825 346 CNO79//PF70354/MUS/3/PASTOR/4/CROC_1/AE.SQUARROSA (224)//OPATA

322 ATTILA//PGO/SERI/3/PASTOR 347 TAM200/TUI//MILAN/KAUZ/3/BABAX

323 SLVS*2/PASTOR 348 BUC/MN72253//PASTOR/3/BABAX

324 SLVS*2/PASTOR 349 CROC_1/AE.SQUARROSA (213)//PGO/3/BABAX

325 PASTOR/3/PRL/SARA//TSI/VEE#5

Table 1. List and pedigree of 49 wheat lines used in the study

Table 2. Analysis of variance of agronomic traits among 49 lines of

wheat tested under partially balanced lattice design with seven

incomplete blocks and three replications.

Trait

HDT PHT TLN MDT SLN Source of variation DF MS F-value MS F-value MS F-value MS F-value MS F-value

Replication (Rep) 2 79.76 1.9ns 387.63 5.25* 522.27 605.51** 1096.41 234.67** 25.49 44.94** Line (unadjusted) 48 171.57 182.33 45.48 84.73 8.62 Rep (adjusted) 18 49.00 224.60 2.20 10.44 0.58 Residual 78 40.31 38.98 0.56 3.34 0.56 Line (adjusted) 48 166.34 4.13** 205.45 5.27** 39.30 70.85** 77.88 23.31** 8.53 15.15**

Trait

SPS KPS HKW YLD Source of variation DF MS F-value MS F-value MS F-value MS F-value

Rep 2 84.27 55.61** 171.15 148.87** 19.67 157.57** 0.57 16.98** Line (unadjusted) 48 61.42 214.46 1.17 7.94 Rep (adjusted) 18 1.91 1.15 0.13 0.03 Residual 78 1.43 1.15 0.12 0.04 Line (adjusted) 48 56.85 39.89** 214.46 186.54** 1.15 9.32** 7.94 229.74**

DF=degrees of freedom; MS=mean square; NS=non significant.

*, ** denote significance differences at 0.05 and 0.01 probability levels,

respectively.