Application of SSR Markers for Purity Testing of Hybrid Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Exploitation of the full potential of any hybrid requires the possessing of genetically high-purity seeds. In order to avoid reduction in yield caused by using low purity seeds, development of a simple, rapid, and accurate method for hybrid purity assessment is of great essence and significance. For the identification of true hybrids, SSR markers provides authentic information that will help to the further progress of any research programme. In this study, total of 40 wheat hybrids and 14 parental lines were taken for the hybrid purity analysis with 20 SSR markers. These markers were used to find out the codominant loci in the hybrid and single dominant loci in parents. Out of 20 SSR markers, only 8 markers viz., Xwmc617, Xwmc457, Xwmc48, Xgwm153, Xbarc61, Xgwm273, Xbarc268 and Xgwm274 showed the polymorphic dominant loci in the parents and co-dominant loci midway between these parents. Therefore these SSR markers were used to confirm the forty hybrids. The range of allele size produced by SSR marker on the parental lines were 120 bp to 300 bp. The highest allel size (300 bp) was produced by marker Xbarc 268 whereas, the minimum allel size (120 bp) was produced by marker Xgwm 273. All the fourty hybrids showed similar banding pattern as parental lines, this proved the purity of hybrids in all these cross combinations. The confirmation of hybrid purity indicated that a single polymorphic marker was sufficient for detection of contaminations of these hybrids from their parents.