Heterotic hexaploid wheat hybrids using genic male-sterility

Abstract

Wheat is world's second most important cereal. For over 50 years many attempts have been made to develop a suitable system for producing hybrid seeds in this self-pollinated crop [1]. Main stimulus had come from the success of cytoplasmic-genetic male sterility system used in developing sorghum hybrids. In wheat too several sources of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) are now known but not as successful as sorghum mainly because of adverse effects of the cytoplasm and problem in fertility restoration. There was intense research on chemical gametocides too, also known as chemical hybridizing agents (CHA). But these suffer from disadvantages, like different dose rate for different parents, inconsistency of timing and rate of chemical application, cost of application, etc. Thus the useful knowledge remained as a proprietary right and is not accessible in general. Inspired by these challenges, the authors tested a homeotic partial male sterile, rust free (score of 5R compared with land race Agra local), medium tall (110 cm) mutant (p-mst) for wheat hybrid seed production and its performance, using it as a female. The purpose of this present study was to demonstrate that the mutant (used as a female), can produce normal heterotic wheat hybrids and may serve as an accepted economical method of wheat hybrid seed production.