Genetic Contribution of Introduced Varieties to Wheat Breeding in China Evaluated Using Microsatellite Markers

The objective of the study was to understand the genetic contribution of introduced varieties to Chinese wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) breeding at the genomic level. A total of 44 representative accessions, consisting of 11 introduced parents from the 1950s to the 1970s and 33 Chinese modern varieties that were released in different years, were evaluated using 363 microsatellite markers. The introduced accessions contained 76.3% of the alleles presented in the Chinese varieties examined. Comparing the genetic diversity of grouped accessions based on their origins and released ages, the exotic group had the largest average allele number per locus (3.9), followed by the 1980s group (3.5), and the 1960s and the 1970s groups had the smallest value (2.9 and 3.0, respectively). Analysis of genetic distance among groups showed an accordant result to that on allelic diversity. According to the allelic frequency, 33 loci of introduced varieties were selected preferentially and transmitted to Chinese accessions, and the allelic frequencies at these loci were all larger than 70%. These loci played an important role in the improvement of wheat varieties in China. The objective of the study was to understand the genetic contribution of introduced varieties to Chinese wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) breeding at the genomic level. A total of 44 representative accessions, consisting of 11 introduced parents from the 1950s to the 1970s and 33 Chinese modern varieties that were released in different years, were evaluated using 363 microsatellite markers. The introduced accessions contained 76.3% of the alleles presented in the Chinese varieties examined. Comparing the genetic diversity of grouped accessions based on their origins and released ages, the exotic group had the largest average allele number per locus (3.9), followed by the 1980s group (3.5), and the 1960s and the 1970s groups had the smallest value (2.9 and 3.0, respectively). Analysis of genetic distance among groups showed an accordant result to that on allelic diversity. According to the allelic frequency, 33 loci of introduced varieties were selected preferentially and transmitted to Chinese accessions, and the allelic frequencies at these loci were all larger than 70%. These loci played an important role in the improvement of wheat varieties in China.