8th INTERNATIONAL WHEAT CONFERENCE

ReLATIoNShIPS BeTWeeN gRAIN hARdINeSS ANd
PRoTeIN CoNTeNT IN WINTeR WheAT BReedINg LINeS
eVALuATed IN SeRIeS of exPeRImeNTS
T. Adamski 1 , M. Surma 1 , Z. Kaczmarek 1 , Z. Banaszak 2 ,
B. Ługowska 2 , A. Kuczyńska 1 , K. Krystkowiak 1 , W.
Obuchowski 3 , B. Salmanowicz 1 , M. Majcher 3 , E.
Adamska 1 , S. Mejza 3 , I. Mejza 3
1 Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań,
Poland
2 DANKO Plant Breeding Ltd, 64-005 Racot, Choryń, Poland
3Institute of Food Technology of Plant Origin, Wojska Polskiego 31, 60-624 Poznań, Poland
E-mail Address of presenting author: Msur@igr.poznan.pl
Grain hardiness and protein content are important traits influencing on end-use quality
of wheat. Performance of these traits is dependent both on genetical and environmental
factors. Thus, the aim of the study was to evaluate of advanced winter wheat breeding
lines bred in Poland in respect of grain hardiness and protein content. Twenty seven
breeding lines were tested in a series of field experiments conducted in four localities on
two levels of nitrogen fertilization: 90 and 140 kg ha -1 . The localities differed in soil type
and temperature and total precipitation during vegetation season 2007/2008. in each experiment.
In each locality experiments were carried out in randomized complete block
design with four replications. After harvesting the relative degree of hardness and protein
content was evaluated using the Near Infrared Transmittance (NIT) technique (InfratecTM
1241 Grain Analyzer, FOSS, Denmark). Statistical analysis of a series of trials
permitted to obtain information on the behaviour of individual lines in various environmental
conditions including assessment of stability and adaptability. Additional information
about the sensitivity of lines to environments was determined by the regression
and correlation analyses. The data were processed using the computer program SERGEN
based on the methods developed by Kaczmarek (1986) and Caliński et al. (1987, 1996).
In these methods GE interaction effect related to each genotype (measured by the value
of the relevant F-statistic) is the measure of stability and the regression of the GE interaction
effects on the observed environmental means (measured by the value of the relevant
F-statistic) is the measure of adaptability. The F-statistic for GE interaction as the measure
of stability can be traced back to the methods originally introduced by Caliński (1960)
and independently by Wricke (1962), whereas the F-statistic for the regression considered
as the measure of adaptability is related to the concept of Finlay and Wilkinson
(1963) and Eberhard and Russel (1966). In the present paper the results of hypotheses
testing concerning the means of grain hardiness and protein content and their interactions
with environments permitted to distinguish group of genotypes especially interesting
for breeders, i.e. with hard grains and high protein content. In that group significant
positive main effects and non-significant GE interactions were obtained by three lines
545