Differences in meiotic pairing induction between the A genomes of Triticum boeoticum Boiss. and T. urartu Tum. using diploid species of the subtribe Triticineae as analysers

The number of associations between chromosome arms in the pollen mother cells of the hybrid Triticum boeoticum × T. urartu is similar to that in the pollen mother cells of the parental accessions. The latter two species were crossed with the following diploid species: T. tauschii, T. comosum, T. umbellulatum, and Haynaldia villosa. The meiotic behaviour of the hybrids showed that the chromosomes of T. urartu share more homology with the diploid Triticum species than do those of T. boeoticum. On the other hand, there is more pairing in the hybrid T. boeoticum × H. villosa than in T. urartu × H. villosa. These results confirm that T. boeoticum and T. urartu are distinct species. Key words: Triticineae, interspecific hybrids, meiotic behaviour, speciation.