Natural and human selection for purple-grain tetraploid wheats in the Ethiopian highlands |
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| Authors: | Getachew Belay T Tesemma E Bechere D Mitiku |
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| Institution: | (1) Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Centre, Alemaya University of Agriculture, Debre Zeit, P.O. Box 32, Ethiopia;(2) Present address: Department of Plant Breeding Research, The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7003, S-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden |
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| Abstract: | Summary Purple-grain tetraploid wheats (Triticum turgidum L.) are widely cultivated in the Ethiopian highlands despite the claim that they have lower industrial quality properties
and market prices than the white or red/brown seed-colour types. In an attempt to find a possible explanation for this, the
three seed-colour groups were compared for grain yield, other 11 agronomic traits and protein content. Five traits displayed
significant differences between seed colour groups where the purple-seed was superior; earlier maturity, shorter height, and
higher fertility, tillering capacity and harvest index. Most of these are important adaptive traits to waterlogging stress
on dark-clay soils (pellic vertisols) where the great bulk of the Ethiopian tetraploid wheats have been grown. Furthermore,
among the three seed-colour groups, purple-seed wheat has the best malting quality for the preparation of arekie, a locally
distilled spirituous liquor. It, therefore, appears that both natural and human selections have been reponsible for their
continued cultivation. Hence, the notion that purple-seeded wheat is the “least preferred” should be interpreted carefully
not to necessarily address the whole community in Ethiopia. As to their taxonomy, all tetraploid wheat taxa (T. turgidum L. sensu lato, 2n = 4x = 28) that are found in Ethiopia, with the possible exception of T. dicoccon Shrank (locally known
as Adja), may possess the purple pericarp-colour, although in varying frequencies; very low inT. polonicum L., and high inT. carthlicum Nevski andT. durum Desf. |
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| Keywords: | Triticum turgidum tetraploid wheat seed-colour adaptation landrace Ethiopia |
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