Factorial cross analysis of pre-harvest sprouting resistance in white wheat

The lack of understanding of the genetics of sprouting resistance as well as the lack of white wheat germplasm with sprouting resistance is impeding the development and production of white wheat cultivars. Two sets of factorial crosses were made with 15 white wheat genotypes possessing different origins and different levels of sprouting resistance. These crosses were statistically analyzed to characterize the inheritance of sprouting resistance by assessing sprouting percentage in ears. In experiment I (5 × 10), it was shown that the general combining ability (GCA) effects of resistant (male) and susceptible (female) parents, and specific combining ability (SCA) effects were highly significant based on both single-year analysis and 2-year combined analysis. There was a significant genotype-year interaction, and the performance of F1 hybrids was more vulnerable to environments than that of the parents. Hybrids have a greater risk of suffering from the sprouting damage than the pure lines. In experiment II (4 × 4), both GCA and SCA effects were significant for F2s. Cultivars FLXXM, WXBMZ, SNTTM, ZTNEM and Fengchan 3 had higher sprouting resistance and are thus good donors in white wheat breeding programs for sprouting resistance.