The aluminum tolerant cultivar BH-1146 was crossed with the moderately tolerant cultivars IAC-17 and Alondra-S-46. Parents, F1's and F2's were tested for their seeding reaction to 3 and 6 ppm of Al3+ in nutrient solution. Grain yield, plant height, number of spikes per plant, number of spikelets per spike, number of grains per spike, number of grains per spikelet, 100-grain-weight and spike lenght were also determined for these populations at maturity. All data were determined on an individual plant basis. Broad sense heritability estimates for 100-grain-weight, head lenght and number of spikelets per spike were 0.73, 0.69 and 0.54 respectively. The values for plant height, number of grain per spike and per spikelet, and number of spike per plant ranged from 0.09 to 0.29. Broad sense heritability for grain yield was low and equal to 0.13. Narrow sense heritability estimates for all characteristics under study except for 100-grain-weigth and number of spikes per plant showed that a major part of the total genetic variation was associated with additive gene action. The phenotypic correlations between grain yield and all the other characteristics were positive and significant at 1% level for most of the populations. Correlations between grain yield and number of spikelets per spike, in populations BH-1146 x IAC-17, showed to be positive and significant only at the 5% probability level. Grain yield and number of spikelets per spike in population BH-1146 x Alondra-S-46 were negative and significantly correlated only at the 5% probability level. Non significant correlations between grain yield and head lenght and between grain yield and plant height in population BH-1146 x Alondra-S-46 and between grain yield and number of spikelets per spike in population IAC-17 x Alondra-S-46. Tolerance to 3 and 6 ppm of Al3+ in nutrient solutions was not associated with plant height (except for BH-1146 x IAC-17 at 3 ppm of Al3+), grain yield, number of grains per spikelet (head fertility), spike lenght (except for BH-1146 x IAC-17 and BH-1146 x Alondra-S-46 at 3 ppm of Al3+), number of spikelets per spike (except for BH-1146 x IAC-17 and BH-1146 x Alondra-S-46 at 3 ppm of Al3+), number of grain per spike, 100-grain-weight and number of spike per plant. The results suggested that there is a possibility of selecting plant types that combine Al3+ tolerance, semi-dwarf height levels and high yield potential, to be grown on acid soils.
wheat; broad sense heritability; narrow sense heritability; correlation; tolerance; aluminum toxicity; grain yield; plant height; head fertility