MARKER ASSISTED SELECTION FOR RHT8 AND RHT-D1B DWARFING GENES IN WINTER WHEAT BREEDING PROGRAM

Plant height has been shown to reduce from 3.49 to 12.5% for Rht8 and 17 to 24 % for Rht-D1b in many studies. Several studies have indicated that yield increases from 3.8 to 12% for Rht8 and 16 to 30 % for Rht-D1b. Breeders can efficiently use this molecular information in their breeding programs by adding Rht8 and Rht-D1b alleles. Marker assisted selection is a useful molecular breeding method to improve the efficiency and precision of conventional plant breeding, which were used to determine Rht8 and Rht-D1b alleles in 49 lines in F2 generation and the 4 parents Yellowstone, NE01533, Pelsart, Promontory. This research was conducted in Spring Wheat Genetic Lab of Montana State University. Presence of the Rht8 dwarfing gene was determined by genotyping alleles at the GWM261F and GWM261R microsatellite markers locus chromosomally linked to Rht8. DF-MR2 detects mutant Rht-D1b dwarfing allele. This reseach showed that parent NE01533 and 20 lines in F2 generation had Rht-D1b dwarfing gene while 18 lines in F2 generation had Rht8 dwarfing gene.