Abstract

PARTIDA-RUVALCABA, L; CERVANTES-SANTANA, Τ; SALAZAR-ZAZUETA, A  and  VELAZQUEZ-ALCARAZ, TJ. Selection for grain protein content in wheat irradiated with ⁶⁰Co gamma rays. Universidad y ciencia [online]. 2009, vol.25, n.3, pp.201-212. ISSN 0186-2979.

This study was conducted in response to the need to improve wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties with a high nutritional quality. A selection for greatest protein content was carried out on irradiated composites selected during six seasons considering a greater grain size and grain density. Seven composites were subjected to two irradiation levels. They differed in five irradiation generations and 74 kr of accumulated doses, except for one with a difference of 73 kr. They came from the Salamanca variety irradiated with gamma rays of cobalt sixty (⁶⁰Co). The selection was made from M₆ and M₁₁ plants, and the selected lines were evaluated over two seasons at Montecillo, State of Mexico. The protein content tended to be normal, with a mean, interval and variance of 13.1%, 11.6 to 15.8% and 0.45, respectively. The 'Salamanca' had 11.5%. With the second irradiation level, the mean (13.1%), maximum value (15.8%), variance (0.51) and number of lines (9) with more than 14.6% protein, exceeded those of the first level, of which the values were 12.9 %, 15.0 %, 0.41 and 3. The three high lines corresponded to the second irradiation level, with protein from 14.9 to 15.3 % and with minimum and maximum values exceeding the protein content of 'Salamanca' by 19.2 and 22.4%, respectively. The protein and grain yield correlation was negative (r = -0.59) and highly significant; the high protein content lines yielded less than 'Salamanca'. The lines had a greater grain volume and weight than 'Salamanca', but almost the same density.

Keywords : Triticum aestivum L.; gamma rays; mutations; volume; weight; density; grain yield.

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