Estimation of Some Genetic Parameters of the Second Generation of Durum Wheat Genotypes

Abstract

The study was conducted during the winter agricultural season of 2021, in the agricultural fields in the Ba'ashiqah region (city of Mosul). It involved ten parental genetic combinations of durum wheat, which were divided according to the factorial mating design (A.B). Six of these combinations were paternal lines, obtained from the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), while four were maternal lines, including three approved varieties. Additionally, a fourth genetic entry that had been previously cultivated under the region's environmental conditions and proven suitable was included. The second-generation seeds were obtained from the first-generation seeds provided by the supervising professor. The parental genetic combinations and their factorial hybrids, totaling twenty-four hybrids, were sown using a completely randomized block design with three replications.

The performance of the male and female parents and hybrids was evaluated, and the mean squares of the parents and high significant hybrids were calculated. All studied traits, except for the weight of a thousand grains (for hybrids), showed significant differences at a 0.05 probability level. The best mean calculated for the female parent (svevo) was followed by the traits of the number of days to flowering, number of grains/ m², weight of a thousand grains, biological yield, and grain yield. The male parent (Adnham) excelled in the traits of plant height and grain yield, as well as protein content. The hybrid (Sardar x Gigamor) outperformed in three traits: number of grains/ spike, grain yield, and harvest index. The hybrid (Duma - 1x Gigamor) ranked next in the traits of plant height and leaf area. In a broad sense, the inheritance values were moderate for most of the studied traits and high for the protein content trait. In a narrow sense, the inheritance values were low for most of the studied traits, moderate for leaf area and number of grains/ spike, and protein content. The values of dominance variance were higher than the values of additive variance as an average for all studied traits. Therefore, to improve the studied traits can use hybridization programed in durum wheat genotypes.