Spike productivity in relation to yield as criterion for emmer wheat breeding

Summary

Landraces, which are unbred cereal species, and include in particular the tetraploid emmer wheat, have become an important focus for the activities of local or organic farmers, processors and consumers of organic products. This study is based on analyses of the spike productivity, harvest index and grain yield of six emmer wheat landraces. It aims to find suitable criteria for the selection of cultivars and varieties which may contribute to the increase in the productivity of the emmer wheat. The cultivars and varieties most commonly used have short dense spikes which have a negative effect on the grain yield, as the spike density is negatively correlated with the weight of thousand grains (TGW), the weight of the grains in the spikes, the number of grains in spikelets and the proportion of hulls to the weight of the grains. Therefore, the selection of cultivars and varieties should focus on material having long lax spikes, and a high TGW, both of which would have a positive effect on the harvest index.