BIODIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION AREA OF DI- AND TETRAPLOID SPECIES TRITICUM L. IN AZERBAIJAN

Abstract

Global climate change warrants creating of source materials for new adaptive varieties of cultivated plants. Therefore, the biodiversity and distribution area of di- and tetraploid species of Triticum L. in Azerbaijan were studied based on literature data and original studies. Using VIR Identification Guide, species, subspecies and botanical varieties were identified. Using conventional methods, phenological observations and evaluations were carried out. It has been found that in Azerbaijan at different times the following were found among the diploid species: T. urartu Thum. ex Gandil., T. boeoticum Boiss. and T. monococcum L. Among them, T. boeoticum is characterized by wide polymorphism. Among the wild tetraploid wheats in Azerbaijan, only T. araraticum Jakubz is widespread and has a wide intraspecific polymorphism. Among cultural tetraploid species the following were found: T. dicоccum (Schrank) Schuebl., T. turgidum L., T. durum Desf., T. turanicum Jakubz., T. pоlоnicum L. and T. cartlicum Nevski. T. dicоccum, T. turgidum, T. durum and T. pоlоnicum feature wide intraspecific polymorphism. In recent years, hybrid populations were used for selection and creating of new collections of T. dicоccum and T. pоlоnicum. New genotypes belonging to these species differ sharply in terms of earing, lifestyle, resistance to stress factors, plant height, stem thickness, awned-awnless spikes, color, shape of scales and awns, ear density, grain color and shape, etc. With involvement of new genotypes in hybridization programs, cultural tetraploid species may be enriched with the durum wheat gene pool having new translocations and gene blocks.