Breeding Potentials of Durum Wheat Landraces for Yield and Quality Traits

The study was carried out to evaluate yield components and some physiological quality traits for 30 durum wheat landraces (native and foreign originated) and 5 obsolete cultivars in Thrace ecological conditions. Experiments were set up in randomized block design in 3 replicated during the 3 consecutive growing seasons. As a result of the analysis of variance, the differences between the averages of the genotypes for the traits were found to be statistically significant. This indicated that there may be enough variation for traits within landraces. The mean values of genotypes ranged between 2238 kg/ha-1 and 3749 kg/ha-1 for grain yield, 98.8 cm and 135.3 cm for plant height, 6.04 cm and 8.88 cm for spike length, 26.6 and 35.3 for the number of grains per spike, 0.988 g and 1.494 g for grain weight per spike, 36.1 g and 42.7 g for thousand grain weight, 74.4 kg/hl-1 and 79.4 kg/hl-1 for test weight and 82.1% and 94.6% for vitreous grain percentage. Although Kahramanmaraş, Dicle, Boğacak, Sorgül, Ionia, Cyprus and Haurani were determined as promising populations for yield and yield components, Siverek, Çanakkale, Tokat, Gaziantep, Yozgat and Urfa landraces had better physical quality. The estimated coefficient of variation and broad sense heritability shifted from 3.9% to 24.52% and from 7.91% to 72.44% for the traits, respectively. Moderately high coefficient of variation, broad sense heritability a genetic advance for plant height, spike length and vitreous grain percentage indicated that selection based on these traits will be more effective and accomplished in the genetic material.