Abstract:
The intensity of selection,
inadvertent pathways of domestication, and
the influence of climate change collectively
amplify the frequency of detrimental alleles.
This phenomenon, in turn, triggers genetic
drift, leading to an in-advertent decline in the
diversity of plant genetic resources. Genetic
variability is of utmost importance for a
species’ adaptability and overall fitness. Our
investigation centres on Triticum germplasm
within the agroclimatic conditions of the
Suceava Gene Bank, encompassing 2021–
2022 field trials. Comprehensive
morphophysiological characterisation was
conducted across 200 cultivated varieties,
spanning three Triticum species (T. aestivum,
T. turgidum and T. monococcum). Initially,
the data underwent meticulous processing
involving the computation of amplitude of
variation, variance (s2), standard deviation
(√s), and coefficients of variation (s%) for
three pivotal agronomical traits: plant height,
spikelets per spike, and total seeds per spike.
Furthermore, an extensive cluster analysis
was performed, encompassing multiple vital
plant descriptors. The findings unveiled a
remarkable dispersion of data, with standard
deviation, amplitude of variation, and
coefficient of variation collectively
indicating substantial variability among the
cultivated varieties. Within the same
population, an intriguing observation
emerged; of the 200 genotypes analysed, 83
exhibited immunity to Septoria tritici.
Delving deeper into the statistical analysis,
we identified two primary clusters within the
population. Overall, a significant proportion
of this germplasm showcased elevated
phenotype scores, rendering them well-suited for further exploration as foundational
material in pre-breeding initiatives.
