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Variability, Combining Ability, and Interrelationships of Anther Length, Anther Extrusion, Glume Tenacity, and Shattering in Spring Wheat¹

Thirty spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L., T. aestivum with T. timopheevi Zhuk. cytoplasm, and T. turgidum L. var. durum) cultivars and lines, both normal (B-line) and restorer (R.line) genotypes, were grown at Fargo, N.Dak. in 1968 to assess variability and intercharacter associations for four floral traits: anther length, anther extrusion, glume tenacity, and shattering. In a second experiment the following year, 36 B-line/R-line (B/R) hybrids and their six B-line and six R-line parents were grown to further evaluate variability and intercharacter associations and to obtain estimates of the relative magnitude of general and specific combining ability effects for anther length, anther extrusion, and glume tenacity.

Substantial variation among genotypes was found for each of the four traits in both experiments. Significant differences for both general and specific combining ability effects of parents were obtained for anther length, anther extrusion, and glume tenacity. The general combining ability to specific combining ability variance component ratio was approximately 5:1 for anther length, 1:1 for anther extrusion, and 8:1 for glume tenacity. Narrowsense heritabilities on a per spike basis were 0.61, 0.19, and 0.54 for the three respective traits. Correlations between F₁'s and each parent or mid-parent were relatively high for anther length and glume tenacity but low or nonsignificant for anther extrusion. Selection to alter anther length and glume tenacity should be effective in this group of wheats. Selection in stress environments was suggested as a possible means of improving and stabilizing anther extrusion.

All intercharacter associations were nonsignificant except for a low positive correlation between anther extrusion and shattering, and a low negative correlation between glume tenacity and shattering, both in the second experiment. Thus, adverse associations with glume tenacity or shattering should not seriously impede progress in improving anther length and anther extrusion.

Key Words: Triticum aestivum L. • Hybrid wheat • Cytoplasmic male sterility • Fertility restoration • Cross pollination

² Former graduate research assistant, North Dakota State Univ. (now assistant professor of biology, Free Univ. of Iran, P.O. Box 11-1962, Tehran 14, Iran), and professor of agronomy, North Dakota State Univ.

Received for publication April 27, 1977.