The synthesis of trigeneric Aegilops X Triticum X Secale hybrids

Synthetic amphiploids, Aegilops X Triticum and Triticum X Aegilops, were crossed with Secale cereale and Secale montanum. Trigeneric hybrids with genomic constitutions ADRc, ADMvRc, ADMvRm, ABDRc, ABDRm, ABDMvRm and ABDMvRcRc were produced and studied. All these hybrids except the hybrid with genomes ABDMvRcRc were taller and had bigger leaves and spikes than parents. The relative proportion of Secale genomes appears to be critical in the survival and subsequent development of these hybrids. The key characters of the genera Aegilops, Triticum and Secale (Pilger 1954) were examined by studying nine different trigeneric combinations. The trigeneric hybrids had characters from all the three genera. In general appearance, however, the spikelets of all the trigeneric hybrids resembled those of the Triticum parent more closely than those of the Secale and Aegilops parent. The trigeneric hybrids behaved like perennial forms, but were completely sterile. There was evidence that the sterility of the hybrids was genic as well as chromosomal. The induction of polyploidy and restoration of fertility in these hybrids might yield useful polygenomic forms.