NARDI Fundulea's Contribution to Increasing Genetic Diversity of Cereals Crops in Romania

Cristina-Mihaela Marinciu, Pompiliu Mustățea, Gabriela Șerban, Vasile Mandea, Indira Galit, Matilda Ciucă, Elena Petcu, Nicolae N. Săulescu

National Agricultural Research and Development Institute Fundulea

Keywords: genetic diversity, breeding, wheat, adaptability.

Abstract: Plant breeding can lead to the loss of genetic diversity (narrowing of the genetic base) for some traits regarding of adaptive potential, through the selection pressure exerted for productivity and quality, in particular. Diversification of the genetic basis of wheat has been a priority of the breeding team from Fundulea, since the beginning of the breeding program (over 60 years), introducing into the Romanian wheat germplasm various genes for resistance to biotic and abiotic factors. The wheat breeding team also made efforts to diversify the cereal crops, by creating varieties of triticale and durum wheat. The genealogy of the winter wheat varieties from Fundulea includes genitors from 4 continents (Europe, Asia, North America, South America).
In recent years, parents from Australia and Egypt have been used, introducing drought and heat resistance into Romanian germplasm. An intense concern for disease resistance has been at the beginning of the wheat breeding program; thus, the most important resistance genes were transferred, effective in the conditions of Romania, for diseases, such as: brown rust, black rust, yellow rust, septoria, powdery mildew.
The latest wheat varieties of the institute represent a new stage that brings significant progress for yield capacity and disease resistance, achieved by combining adapted germplasm, obtained by recombination and long selection, in Romania, or with the use of rye translocation 1A-1R (varieties Ursita - 2021 and FDL Abund - 2022) - an approach that has proved useful for genetic progress and biodiversity through the triticale species as a bridge, or by recombining the best varieties previously created in Fundulea (varieties Pitar - 2015 and Voinic - 2020).
Over more than 60 years of activity, the wheat breeding team from Fundulea has accumulated a large number of genes important for adaptation to environmental conditions in Romania, often more hostile than those found in other breeding centers in Europe.