Strong photosensitivity level doesn’t limit selection for high yield in winter bread wheat

Abstract

Aim. The aim is to test the validity of home breeders assumption that strong photosensitivity in winter bread wheat limits the possibility of breeding improvement for productivity. Methods. Estimation of photosensitivity levels in modern high-yielding foreign cultivars (mainly from Western Europe) and in the set of F5 hybrids with photosensitivity diversity, which were selected only for relatively high yields. Results. Among the modern high-yielding foreign cultivars recommended for cultivation in Ukraine, carriers of strong photosensitivity have been identified with a significantly high frequency (up to 33.3 ± 0.75 %). In contrast, almost all modern Ukrainian cultivars are weakly photosensitive. When selecting in Odessa environment only the best-yielding families and lines from hybrid combinations, in which parents clearly differed in photosensitivity levels, F5 did not show a shift towards reducing the frequency of highly photosensitive phenotypes. It was statistically consistent with random variation without selection. Conclusions. High photosensitivity does not limit the efforts of breeders to improve the productivity potential of winter bread wheat. And for certain growing regions of this crop, it can be a factor in better environmental adaptability to get a real yield.