Intergeneric hybrids between Triticum aestivum and three crested wheatgrasses: Agropyron mongolicum, A. michnoi, and A. desertorum.

Three hybridizations of Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring (CS) (2n = 42) with Agropyron mongolicum (2n = 14), A. michnoi (2n = 28), and A. desertorum (2n = 28) are reported for the first time. Hybrid embryos were obtained at frequencies of 0.24, 1.13, and 2.05%, respectively. The hybrid plants obtained from pollinating CS by A. mongolicum had the expected chromosome number of 2n = 4x = 28, but as a result of hybrid necrosis, none could be raised to the adult stage. Hybrids CS × A. michnoi and CS × A. desertorum both had 2n = 5x = 35 chromosomes. The average meiotic chromosome pairing per cell was 7.04 I + 12.14 II + 1.06 III + 0.07 IV + 0.02 V + 0.02 VI and 9.29 I + 11.05 II + 1.14 III + 0.05 IV, respectively. Their analysis leads to the conclusions that (i) the two Agropyron genomes in the hybrids share a high degree of homology, thus revealing that tetraploid Agropyron species are true autoploids (genome constitution PPPP) and (ii) gene(s) in the Agropyron species suppress the activity of the homoeol...