Developing New Spring Bread Wheat Lines for Improved Bread Making Quality using Marker Assisted Selection

High molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) are important determinants in the bread-making quality wheat flour.  Seven genotypes (Yecora rojo, Lang, Klasic, Irena, KSU 102, KSU 105 and KSU 106), with known high yield potential and favorable HMW-GS genes revealed by known linked PCR markers where selected. Five crosses were carried out to combine HMW-GS genes into elite wheat lines.  F2 plants were evaluated for yield component and screened using HMG-GS sequence-specific primers to select individuals harboring different HMW-GS genes in pure form.  Meanwhile, possible heterozygote F2 plants for HMW-GS with high yield potentials were cultivated as F3 families to allow the segregation of  homozygous favorable HMW-GS combination. The F3 plants were screened using the same markers which used with F2 individuals and were scored according to Pfluger scoring equation. The results showed differences in the yield components and HMW-GS genes were scored from 7 to 10 according to Pfluger scoring equation, indicating high quality of bread making of the selected lines. This study demonstrated the power of using molecular marker system to identify desirable genotypes with favorable HMW-GS genes in early generation selection. This approach increase selection efficiency, save costs, resources and adds a high level of precision to national breeding programs. It will scale up the breeding cycle by saving time in developing high quality, with yet high yield potential in bread wheat.