Targeted exploitation of gene pools of alien Triticeae species for sustainable and multi-faceted improvement of the durum wheat crop

Abstract

Enlarging the genetic basis of essential crop species such as the polyploid wheats is a priority in breeding outlooks for the new millennium. To this end, one feasible approach to exploit the wide and largely untapped variation present in the gene pools of alien Triticeae species is chromosome engineering, which enables the transfer of alien chromosomal segments carrying targeted genes to wheat chromosomes. Recent progress in molecular marker technology, molecular cytogenetic techniques, and in genome knowledge has greatly enhanced the ability of chromosome engineering to contribute breeder-friendly germplasm, even in the case of durum wheat, considered more sensitive to genome manipulations than bread wheat. Using finely tuned chromosome engineering, stable incorporation into durum has been achieved for various alien segments containing genes for disease resistance, quality attributes, and even yield-related traits, both separately and in combination. The state of the art and the breeding potential of such transfers are reviewed and updated.