Shortening generation times for winter cereals by vernalizing seedlings from young embryos at 10 degree Celsius

Abstract

Methods allowing quick generation cycles are available for various crop species but are limited to spring genotypes. However, winter types predominate in many crops including wheat and barley. Different from spring ones, winter genotypes need to be treated in low temperature for extended periods to accelerate flowering. Combined with known factors that reduce generation cycles for spring wheat and barley, the generation cycle effects of vernalizing seedlings from young embryos of winter types at 10°C of several crop species were studied. Here, we described how to obtain up to seven generations of winter barley, six generations for winter wheat or five generations for both winter oat and triticale genotypes per annum. This procedure should find wide applications in breeding and other biological studies.