Abstract:

【Objective】 The objective of this experiment is to understand the distribution of vernalization genes in Chinese wheat landraces and their relations with winter hardness so as to promote the reasonable utilization of those landraces in wheat improvement. 【Method】 Using STS markers of wheat vernalization genes Vrn-A1, Vrn-B1, Vrn-D1, and Vrn-B3, the loci distribution of those genes among 153 Chinese wheat landraces from 10 major wheat ecological regions of China were detected, and their relationship with winter hardness was analyzed. 【Result】 The frequencies of the dominant loci of the four vernalization genes in Chinese wheat landraces were 60.78% (Vrn-D1), 5.88% (Vrn-A1a), 5.23% (Vrn-B1), and 0 (Vrn-B3), respectively. The higher frequencies of Vrn-A1a and Vrn-B1 were detected in spring wheat regions, with the highest in Northeastern China Spring Wheat Region with 50% and 33.33%, respectively, while in most winter wheat regions, those loci weren’t detected. Vrn-D1 was detected in all the 10 wheat ecological regions, which also was the main locus of vernalization genes in the landraces of winter wheat regions in China and the highest frequency was detected in Qinghai-Tibet Spring-Winter Wheat Region (83.33%). The genotypes of vernalization genes in wheat landraces from 10 major wheat ecological regions of China detected by molecular marker analysis were largely consistent with their vernalization requirement, and the consistency index of genotypes detected with the winter hardness recorded from the field was higher in general, while the consistency index for the landraces from the winter wheat regions of central and southern China were lower. 【Conclusion】The types and distribution characters of vernalization genes in Chinese wheat landraces were clarified, combining molecular detection of genotype and field investigation of phenotype could reflect the winter hardness of wheat better.

Key words: wheat')">wheat, landraces, vernalization genes, distribution frequency, winter hardness