Text|Famous City Rain
Editor|Mingchengyu
There are differences between the landraces of wheat collected, including grain yield, 1000 grain weight, and gluten content. Social and environmental conditions in areas where wheat landraces are grown, their diversity is analyzed using genomic tools, agronomic characteristics are assessed based on field experiments, and sustainable options for the utilization and conservation of farm wheat landraces are discussed.
Collection sites in Uzbekistan for 2012-2015 were determined on the basis of preliminary communication with researchers, local administrators and the farming community about the possibility of discovering local varieties of wheat. Wheat germplasm was collected from 1 village located in 17 districts and 1 administrative district. A total of 20 wheat landraces were collected.
All collections were performed in the field by randomly collecting approximately 2013 spike samples. The collection was accompanied by a socio-economic survey of 2 farmers who planted landraces. Samples were divided into similar groups according to spike-like morphological characteristics: colloidal color and pubescence, presence of awnings, and particle color.
Results and discussion
Morphological and genomic diversity of wheat landraces, 30 of the 10 landraces collected are mixtures of different wheat morphotypes, easily identifiable by spike color or awning. Phenotypically similar local varieties may have different origins and names. The diversity of landraces was originally described using spike-like morphological traits and plant diversity.
The degree of diversity is judged by the number of plant varieties determined. Collections in 2010 and 2013 identified only three bread wheat plant varieties and one durum wheat. 30 strains from wheat landraces were identified, representing the diversity of the series.
Cluster analysis based on kinship calculated by 63 KASP markers demonstrated the relationship between different regional endemic species, and category 4 consists of 4 almost identical genotypes, Surkhak from the Jizzakh region and 1 Kzyl insect endemic species from the Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya regions.
Overall, Group 2 also included closely related Ak bugday and Pashmak, Tuyatish and Muslimka. This close relationship between different named landraces of wheat from different relatively isolated regions indicates their common origin and seed exchange among farmers.
The durum wheat landrace, Korakiltik, has a unique KASP marking characteristic that distinguishes it from other local varieties in Class 3. Class 10 includes several Akworm Japanese lineages from the three regions of plant varieties gray and red sperm. Even morphologically similar local varieties can be distinguished when classified by genomic map.
For detailed phenotyping and assessment, a group of 14 Uzbek wheat landraces were selected to represent the existing diversity. High-density Illumina SNP chip data for these 14 landraces and a core set of 30 Tajik wheat landraces collected in 2013–2014 were obtained.
The resulting SNP data were used to calculate kinship and perform joint cluster analysis to find relationships between endemic species in the two countries. Group 4 includes wheat landraces from the Surkandariya and Kashkadarya regions of Uzbekistan and Tajik landraces from the Shahristan, Zerafshan valley and Khatlon regions.
Group 1 includes three Akworm Day endemic varieties from Uzbekistan and several Tajik wheat landraces, mainly from Khatlon. Group 2 consists almost entirely of unique Pamiric landraces from Tajikistan. Group 3 averaged a combination of Tajik landraces from the Rasht Valley and Khatlon regions and Uzbek endemic varieties from all three regions.
High-density SNP array data were used to assess diversity parameters for 14 Uzbek landraces, 30 Tajiks and 20 Afghan endemic species in the current study. SNP polymorphisms are highest in Afghan and Tajik landraces and lowest among Uzbek endemic varieties. The level of heterozygosity and the number of effective alleles in the 72 groups were the same as SNP polymorphisms, and the Uzbekistan group had the least diversity.
The kinship values derived from the analysis of 186 KASP markers and 1430 SNP markers for each of the 63 Uzbekistan and 23 Tajikistani endemic varieties were compared. For the other 13 lines, the correlation value varies between 0.5 and 0.7.
Agronomic evaluation of landraces of wheat
Results of experiments carried out at the Tashkent Research Institute in 2012-2015. All obtained wheat landraces have a spring growth habit, on average slightly later than the inspection varieties, 200-400 mm higher. Local varieties are not as good as grain yield checks under irrigation.
When planted in the spring without irrigation, yields of several local varieties were as high as under irrigation, and at least 40% higher than cereal yields of the inspected varieties. These local varieties, as well as entries 8, 12, 14 and 15, had 1000 grains weighing more than 40 grams in tests in all years. All materials differ in susceptibility to leaf rust and stripe rust.
Considerable high temperatures and water stress in 2018 led to rapid crop development, with an average grain yield of 2784 kg/ha in 2019 compared to 3 kg/ha in 217. With the exception of Surkhak, all materials exhibit spring or facultative growth habits, allowing great variation in planting time. The advance of the four Uzbek landraces was significantly later compared to local inspections.
Callaghan, 9-13 days later than the rainfed varieties that are usually grown in Turkey. This shows that Uzbek landraces have the ability to develop in the growing opportunities in mountainous areas with cool summers. The landracetic line suffered varying degrees of lodging in 18 years, not necessarily related to plant height.
All landraces are susceptible to leaf rust but show relatively high resistance to Turkish striped rust populations. The endemic variety Boboky yielded 212 percent more than the check, while the endemic breeds Ak Bugday and Muslimka yielded as much as the check. Field evaluations of endemic varieties of wheat in Uzbekistan and Turkey showed that they have advantages in several agronomic traits over commonly grown varieties.
The standard approach to wheat landraces is agronomic characterization, which then incorporates traits of interest when developing new varieties, especially those used in abiotic stress areas. Landraces of wheat with excellent performance in terms of cereal yield and other traits have been identified and their genomic relevance demonstrated.
The superiority of these local varieties in terms of grain quality was also demonstrated, including gluten content and composition, concentration of important micronutrients. These local varieties have been included in the Uzbekistan hybridization and selection program to develop drought-tolerant varieties.
Sustainability of landlocked varieties of wheat in farmland
Farmers pay little attention to the global value of wheat landraces because genetic resources outside of these landraces meet their daily needs. One option to preserve wheat landraces and their diversity on the farm is to improve them through selection or hybridization programs to reinforce positive traits and eliminate negative traits such as disease susceptibility.
In 2014, the local variety was planted on 0.3 hectares of rainfed land near Tashkent, harvesting 0.8 tons of seeds. The seeds are washed, treated with fungicides and distributed to villages in Boysun and Altinsay districts. The farmers willingly accepted the seeds.
A simple selection from local varieties can produce new varieties that can pass official testing and certification schemes. The issue is being discussed in Turkey and elsewhere, where formal rules prohibit seed production of landraces because they are not registered varieties.
Farmers may have to pay for seeds of these new local varieties from their fields. Exchange of seeds for farmers in Uzbekistan and proof that seeds are generally considered a public good, so no farmer should be excluded from the right to use the seeds.
Governments, countries and international donors can choose incentives to support the maintenance of agricultural biodiversity in Uzbekistan. This makes perfect sense to support remote mountainous rural communities, which are often less developed than those in lowland and irrigated valleys. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has developed guidelines for the conservation and sustainable ownership of genetic resources owned by farmers.
The synthesis document recommends the development of national plans for the conservation and sustainable use of landraces, including the following components: improving the availability of landraces; the quality and availability of the information; endemic variety management, including participatory breeding; improved processing; Replacement and modification of seed certification schemes; market creation and facilitation, building partnerships and trust; promoting ecological land management practices; Payment schemes for ecosystem services.
IV. Conclusion
The vast amount of wheat diversity that farmers have developed and maintained over the centuries has suffered greatly over the past 100 years. However, wheat landraces have not completely disappeared from the production landscape and are still found in Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey and other countries. The collection of local varieties of wheat in Uzbekistan and their characteristics prove that this valuable material is still cultivated by farmers from generation to generation.
Cereals from regional varieties are used in oven bread baked at home. The socio-economic survey identified three main reasons for maintaining landraces: (1) large grains, good quality bread production; (2) specific adaptations that allow for stable and reliable yields in harsh plateau environments, including spring sowing; (3) Straw yield and quality. Farmers grow landraces in smaller fields.
The application of genomic tools has greatly improved the ability to identify unique landraces and to compare the diversity of endemic species in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. A shared common genome map of local varieties collected from distant and isolated locations in both countries suggests that they are closely related, possibly due to seed exchanges between farmers in the past.
The genetic diversity of local varieties assessed by SNP polymorphisms and other parameters is highest among Afghan and Tajik landraces and lowest among Uzbek landraces, as they are small in number and grow in a limited, relatively homogeneous landscape.
An extensive assessment of local varieties in Uzbekistan and Turkey was carried out, identifying materials with excellent performance in terms of cereal yield and other traits, which have been included in the hybridization and selection program of Uzbekistan to develop drought-tolerant varieties.
Uzbek wheat landraces have proven their worth, and recent collections have once again confirmed their wide diversity, good for farmers and the wheat research community. All stakeholders need to work together to ensure that they are not lost, managed and planted in situ, and protected ex situ for future generations.
Several approaches have been discussed, including local variety improvement, market development and policy interventions. As a result of the feminization of agriculture in Central Asia, any strategy to protect and expand the diversity of wheat on farms needs to take into account the role of women in household decision-making.
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