Morphological, Genetic and Biochemical Evaluation of Dasypyrum villosum (L.) P. Candargy in the Gene Bank Collection

The Dasypyrum villosum gene bank collection, comprising 32 accessions, was characterized morphologically and genetically for resistance to leaf diseases and for quality parameters of seeds with specific accent to protein polymorphism and protein and starch composition. The collected material represented nearly the whole distribution area in the Mediterranean. For SSR analysis, a set of 40 SSR markers for wheat was selected. A matrix of distances between genotypes was calculated using Simple Matching dissimilarity coefficient in the DARwin software. The collection was scored for resistance to powdery mildew, brown, stripe and stem rusts. A modified SDS-PAGE method with clear interpretation of high and low molecular glutenin subunits (HMW, LMW) was used for characterization of accessions. Morphological phenotyping revealed considerable diversity allowing the distinguishing of clusters tracing the geographical origin of accessions. Genetic diversity showed three groups but without significant bootstrap support. All tested accessions were resistant to the applied races of powdery mildew and leaf rust. Three accessions were moderately susceptible to currently available races of yellow rust. Biochemical analyses of seeds in selected populations showed a high content of crude proteins with a significant proportion of prolamins and Ʃglutelins. The SDS-PAGE of HMW and LMW glutelins confirmed both the high population polymorphism and the intra-population differences. Apart from the recent research in CWR breeding, Dasypyrum villosum is still an underrepresented species in germplasm collections and an underutilized species in breeding.