THERMAL CASTRATION AS A METHOD OF GAMETOPHYTIC SELECTION TO INCREASE ADAPTABILITY

Abstract

The use of thermal castration is based on thermal treatment which is fatal for male form of the plant but is acceptable to preserve female fertility. Herewith a small portion of pollen remains viable. In the process of self-pollination with this portion of pollen we receive the seeds which are more viable and adapted to unfavourable environment. Due to this method we managed to cultivate wheat variety ‘Praskoviya’ and a line ‘Zimogor-tk-9’ which significantly exceed variety of winter triticale ‘Zimogor’. The use of the method is expedient not only for constant selection material of later cultivars, but also for new hybrids that will allow improving selection of better economic-valuable forms. Plants of wheat are necessary to be castrated thermally 0,5 or 1,5 days before the alleged anthesis. Water heated up to 480C is a thermal agent. Ears are immersed in hot water for 2 minutes and then are placed under a paper isolator. Necessary equipment for this method of selection includes a thermos flask with hot water, some containers with hot and cold water for regulation of water temperature in a thermos flask after each cycle of castration, a stopwatch, twines, scissors and paper isolators. The use of the method of thermal castration to cultivate valuable self-pollinated forms can be carried out together with hybridization if mother form possesses a strongly marked recessive trait but a father form possesses a dominant one. Thus it becomes possible to distinguish self-pollinated forms and hybrids in the first generation of the hybrid.

Keywords

• thermal castration
• hybridization
• wheat