Selection of High-yielding Genotypes and Phenotypic Correlations of F2 Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) During the Late Planting Season in Field Conditions of Bangladesh

Purpose: Around the globe, wheat is a significant cereal crop, used for food, feed, and raw materials. Terminal heat stress threatens wheat production, notably in subtropical countries like Bangladesh. An experiment was conducted to select heat-tolerant, high-yielding transgressive segregants using the F₂ populations from several biparental crosses of elite wheat varieties in Bangladesh.
Research Method: A total of ten thousand F₂ seeds (1000 from ten crosses) were evaluated in the field of Bangladesh under late sown conditions to induce terminal heat stress and assess eight yield and yield-related traits. Statistical analysis was conducted using R-studio software among the transgressive segregants and their respective parents.
Findings and Values: A total of 100 F₂ genotypes obtained from biparental crosses of five elite wheat varieties were selected based on yield and related traits under late sown conditions imposing terminal heat stress. Significant differences were observed for most of the traits between the segregating lines and their five parents. Traits such as flag leaf length, hundred-grain weight, number of grains per plant, spike length, and yield per plant showed high heritability and genetic advance, making them suitable for breeding programs. Terminal heat-tolerant genotypes H10, J9, J4, E2, F2, and G7, grouped in cluster 4, are promising for developing advanced heat-tolerant wheat lines in Bangladesh. The work involved selecting promising terminal heat stress-tolerant transgressive segregants using an elite vs elite crosses approach to plant breeding.