Euphytica

Gains in yield and stability were analysed using grain yield data from the 8th to the 14th International Triticale Yield Nursery (ITYN) and differences in adaptation between complete and substituted triticales (X Triticosecale Wittmack) were examined. A trend of improving yield and adaptation was observed. As highly significant genotype × site interaction each year was not adequately described using regression analysis, yield stability was examined by ranking genotypes within sites and summarizing scores for individual genotypes across sites. Cluster analysis was used to study the relationships among sites and among genotypes. There was little evidence of sites grouping on a geographical basis. Grouping of genotypes showed a tendency for complete and substituted triticales to perform differently, suggesting that diversity for adaptation is maximized by utilizing both types in breeding. Progress for grain yield is compared with more spectacular gains in test weight and reasons for the different rates of improvement are postulated.

A genetic linkage map with 70 loci (55 SSR, 12 AFLP and 3 morphological loci) was constructed using 117 F2 plants obtained from a cross between two upland cotton cultivars Yumian 1 and T586, which have relatively high levels of DNA marker polymorphism and differ remarkably in fiber-related traits. The linkage map comprised of 20 linkage groups, covering 525 cM with an average distance of 7.5 cM between two markers, or approximately 11.8% of the recombination length of the cotton genome. The present genetic linkage map was used to identify and map the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting lint percentage and fiber quality traits in 117 F2:3 family lines. Sixteen QTLs for lint percentage and fiber quality traits were identified in six linkage groups by multiple interval mapping: four QTLs for lint percentage, two QTLs for fiber 2.5% span length, three QTLs for fiber length uniformity, three QTLs for fiber strength, two QTLs for fiber elongation and two QTLs for micronaire reading. The QTL controlling fiber-related traits were mainly additive, and meanwhile including dominant and overdominant. Several QTLs affecting different fiber-related traits were detected within the same chromosome region, suggesting that genes controlling fiber traits may be linked or the result of pleiotropy.