Synthesis of synthetic bread wheat genotypes using wild emmer (Triticum dicoccoides) and durum (Triticum durum) wheats

The objective of this study was to develop synthetic bread wheat lines through hybridization between wild emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccoides) and durum wheat (Triticum durum) genotypes with Aegilops tauschii. The study was conducted during the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 growing seasons, with hybridizations performed under field conditions. In the 2023–2024 growing season, 55 different combinations were made between genotypes of wild emmer and genotypes of Ae. tauschii. A total of 1253 flowers were hybridized in these combinations, yielding 28 seeds, from which 14 plants were obtained. Chromosome doubling was not successfully achieved in plants grown under greenhouse conditions. In the same year, for durum wheat × Ae. tauschii hybridizations, 838 flowers were hybridized across 14 combinations, resulting in 56 seeds and 14 plants. Seed production was achieved through chromosome doubling in the 'Aeuro × TOWWC0022' combination. In the 2024–2025 growing season, 1053 flowers were hybridized in wild emmer × Ae. tauschii combinations, yielding 26 seeds, while 812 flowers were hybridized in durum wheat × Ae. tauschii combinations, resulting in 42 seeds. A total of 38 plants were grown from both groups, with seed production success rates ranging from 1.9% to 33.3%. When the two-year data were evaluated together, a total of 2306 flowers were hybridized across 103 combinations for wild emmer, resulting in 54 seeds and 28 plants. However, no synthetic bread wheat genotype was obtained. For durum wheat, 1650 flowers were hybridized across 29 combinations, yielding 98 seeds and 38 plants, with chromosome doubling achieved in only one plant from the 'Aeuro × TOWWC0022' combination. Based on the research findings, it was determined that both wild emmer and durum wheat can be used as parental material for developing synthetic bread wheat. However, it was concluded that such studies must be conducted under controlled conditions. Keywords: Synthetic wheat, Aegilops tauschii, Triticum dicoccoides, hybridization