The use of irradiated pollen for differential gene transfer in wheat (Triticum aestivum)

The use of irradiated pollen to bring about limited gene transfer in wheat has been investigated. Doses of X-rays of 2Kr, 3Kr and 5Kr were used to generate M1 progeny between maternal and paternal genotypes differing in quantitative and major gene characters. Cytological studies of M1 plants revealed hybrids with widespread aneuploidy and structural rearrangements in the paternal genome. These effects resulted in phenotypic variation between M1 progeny and complex multivalent formation at meiosis. All M1 plants at the 5Kr and 3Kr doses were sterile and all but 2 plants at the 2Kr dose.Studies of the two M2 families from these plants revealed disturbances in genotype frequencies for some of the marker loci with an excess of maternal homozygotes and a deficit of paternal homozygotes. This was also reflected in a more maternal appearance for quantitative characters. These results are interpreted as showing that irradiation damage to the paternal genome in M1 plants results in the differential transmission of maternal alleles.