Triticale Germplasm: A Basic Tool for Plant Breeding

Abstract

In 1990, the Wheat Genetic Resource Section of the CIMMYT Wheat Program1 established a world collection of triticale in response to a resolution of the 2nd International Triticale Symposium held in Brazil in 1990. The CIMMYT triticale collection now has about 15,000 accessions and consists of primary and secondary triticales of spring, winter and facultative types. Most triticale lines, that have entered CIMMYTs International Nursery Program and germplasm, which has been utilized in CIMMYT crosses, are maintained in the collection and we are attempting to collect all released cultivars. Passport and characterization information is being loaded into CIMMYTs International Wheat Information System (IWIS), which stores information on bread wheat, durum wheat, triticale, and rye and manages pedigrees, selection histories, and will store performance data and genetic information. This system will analyze genetic and cytoplasmic diversity with performance data to define sub sets for better exploitation by breeders. CIMMYT collections are held in trust.