The role of Aegilops species in the origin and improvement of common wheat

Some Aegilops species participated in wheat evolution playing a major role in wheat domestication and therefore the genus Aegilops represents a big part of the additional gene pool determining important traits of wheat. Breeders have been using these genes for many years to produce improved cultivars. Wide crosses between its wild relatives are sources of desirable characteristics for genetic improvement of common wheat. Triticum aestivum evolution and methods for transfer of alien material into wheat, briefly reviewed in this article, include incorporation of the whole genomes, single chromosomes, small chromosomal segments, single genes and cytoplasm substitution in wheat.