Breeding of spelt wheat (Triticum spelta L.) on productivity and grain quality

Spelt ( Triticum spelta L.) is an ancient specie of wheat demand for which is currently increasing. Along with positive characteristics of spelt (high protein, gluten and amino acids content, high adaptive potential, presence of a powerful stem and high resistance to lodging) it is significantly inferior to soft wheat T. aestivum L. in terms of yield capacity. However, new perspective genotypes with improved quantitative traits can be obtained from crosses of spelt and soft wheat due to introgression of genetic material of T. aestivum into T. spelta genome. In present research in result of hybridization of spelt wheat and soft wheat we obtained new forms which differ from each other in terms of morphobiological and economically valuable traits. The research aimed to create new initial material of spelt with high quality of grain based on hybridization of Triticum aestivum and T. spelta and its introduction to the breeding scheme for creating high productive varieties of the crop. Samples of spelt wheat obtained by the method of remote hybridization followed by multiple individual selection. Spelt samples of local breeding from foothill regions of the Carpathians and regionalized varieties of winter wheat Favoritka, Kharus, Panna, Ermak, Podolianka, Kryzhynka, Farandol, Kopilovchanka, Krasnodarskaia 99 were used as initial breeding material. Derived F1 hybrids were self-pollinated or back-crosses with parental forms. Hybrid progenies F2-5 wereanalyzed in terms of morphobiological and economically valuable traits (plant height, shape of the bush, wax coating on plants, pubescence on the stem and spike, length, color and awnedness of the spike, number of spikelets in the spike, density of the spike, threshing of grain, grain shape and color, weight of the grain from the main spike, number of productive stems per plant, 1000-grain weight, gluten and protein content, grain hardness, productivity). In fifth generation (F5) when segregation was no longer observed, considering productivity and quality of previous years, 18 best samples of spelt wheat were selected. Their field testing was conducted during 2012-2018 (F5-11) (a research field of Uman National University of Horticulture, right-bank Forrest-steppe of Ukraine, Cherkassy region). Gluten and protein contents were determined by infrared spectroscopy (Laboratory of genetics, breeding and seed production, a device InfratecTM Nova, FOSS Analytical, Sweden). Biometric traits (plant height, ear length, number of grains per ear, grain weight from head ear) were determined on 50 plants selected from each plot in two non-adjoin repetitions. Grain threshing was performed, and yield capacity was determined. From crossing, the collection of spelt initial material which include more than 200 samples was created. Obtained forms were divided into four groups according to plant height: semi-dwarf, low-growing, medium-growing and high-growing. In each group the best samples were selected which were analyzed for grain quality, yield and productivity structure. A possibility was proved of breeding improvement of spelt based on interspecific hybridization with soft wheat. It was established that eight samples significantly exceeded standard for yields. In the same time samples Nos. 76, 155, 1695 и 1725 had improved grain threshing (80-90 %), samples Nos. 76 and 1817 were characterized by high quality, in particular, 25.2 and 22.0 % protein content, respectively, and 52.1 and 44.7 % gluten level. Samples Nos. 40 and 13 were the best in terms of gluten and protein content with 30.1 and 27.2 % for protein, and 63.2 and 56.5 % for gluten, respectively. As a result of the study, spelt wheat forms were selected which possess several valuable traits, i.e. the sample No. 124 is distinguished due to low plant height (92 cm) and high quality traits (1000-grain weigh of 53.8 g, protein content of 17.9 %, I group gluten level of 37.4 %), while the sample No. 155 shows high productivity (5.36 t/ha) and an improved grain threshing out from the ear (92 %). A winter spelt variety Europe derived from spelt and soft wheat hybridization has been listed to State register of plants suitable for growing in Ukraine from 2015.