MARKER ASSISTED SELECTION FOR PHOTOPERIOD INSENSITIVE PPD-D1A ALLELE IN WINTER WHEAT BREEDING PROGRAM

This study was conducted in Spring Wheat Lab of Montana State University. Marker assisted selection is a useful molecular breeding method to improve the efficiency and precision of conventional plant breeding, which are used to determine Ppd-D1a allele in 49 lines in F2 generation and the 4 parents Yellowstone, NE01533, Pelsart and Promontory. The alleles of all the parents and lines in F2 were determined through MAS. Breeders can efficiently use this molecular information in their breeding programs by adding and removing photoperiod insensitive Ppd-D1a alleles to their varieties. In hexaploid wheat, photoperiod insensitive Ppd-D1a allele in 2D chromosome causes early flowering in short day length and long day length, avoiding stresses associated with high temperature and water deficit in grain filling stages. This study shows that the parents NE01533, Pelsart, Promontory and the 47 lines in F2 generation have the Ppd-D1a allele while Yellowstone and the remaining lines are photoperiod sensitive.