TRITICALE, STILL A PROMISE

Experiments with primary triticale genotypes produced from defined wheat and rye parents provide a strong indication of a preponderance of specific genome combining ability in the phenotypic expression of triticale. Studying line families developed from specific cross combinations by means of the single seed descent method revealed that, in contrast to wheat, the distribution of genotypes in an F2 population of triticale is strongly skewed, with the majority of them being inferior to the mid-parent value. This is the case even if recombination is restricted to one fourth of one of the parental components of triticale, i.e. wheat or rye. Correlations of yield components were found to deviate substantially from known types of correlations in wheat, an established natural allopolyploid species. These findings give a strong indication for a genomic inbalance in triticale being a major cause for slow advance in varietal improvement. New breeding strategies designed for the specific genetic structure of triticale are necessary to accelerate breeding progress and to help triticale ultimately to live up to its promise.