In Vivo and In Vitro Selection of Superior Durum Wheat (Triticum durum, Desf.) Genotypes

Abstract

Evaluation and selection experiments for thirteen durum wheat genotypes included two local varieties and eleven introduced lines during two successive seasons (2002/2003 and 2003/2004). The tested genotypes showed highly significant differences in growth characters, yield components, callus induction, callus growth rate and plant regeneration in the two growing seasons and their combined analysis. MSWD-2 line followed by MSWD-9 surpassed the other tested genotypes in number of tillers/plant, main spike weight (g), spikes weight/plant (g), 100-grains weight (g), grains yield/plant (g), grains yield ton/feddan, callus induction, callus growth rate and plant regeneration. However, MSWD-19 genotype is the tallest one, while the NRCWD-32 produced he highest
value of main spike length. High genetic advance, as percentage of the mean, was found to be associated with high heritability values in cases of main spike weight, spikes weight/plant, 100-grains weight, grains yield/plant and grains yield ton/fed. Superior genotypes are used in breeding programs to save much efforts and costs to breeder.