Natural and human selection for purple-grain tetraploid wheats in the Ethiopian highlands

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 thre...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Genetic resources and crop evolution 1995-12, Vol.42 (4), p.387-391
Main Authors: Belay, G, Tesemma, T, Bechere, E, Mitiku, D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
color
consumer preferences
crop yield
distilled spirits
filling period
harvest index
height
inflorescences
landraces
maturation period
plant characteristics
plant protein
seed weight
seeds
tetraploidy
tillers
Triticum turgidum
water stress
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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 responsible 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 in T. polonicum L., and high in T. carthlicum Nevski and T. durum Desf.
ISSN:0925-9864
1573-5109
DOI:10.1007/BF02432143