Evaluation of seedling characteristics of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) through canonical correlation analysis

• Published in: Cereal research communications Vol. 34; no. 4; pp. 1231 - 1238
• Main Authors: Erayman, Mustafa, Bekele Geleta Abeyo, P. Stephen Baenziger, Hikmet Budak, Kent M. Eskridge
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Akadémiai Kiadà 01-01-2006; Cereal Research Non-Profit Company
• Subjects: Canonical correlation analysis; coleoptile length; Coleoptiles; emergence rate index; Genetics and Breeding; Genotypes; Germination; Phenotypic traits; Plants; Seed size; seedling vigor; Seedlings; Statistical variance; Triticum aestivum; vigor; Wheat
• ISSN: 0133-3720; 1788-9170
• DOI: 10.1556/crc.34.2006.4.263

To examine the seedling characteristics of nine different bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties, several variables regarding seedling size and germination characteristics were analyzed using canonical correlation analysis. Significantly correlated first canonical variate pairs indicated that the variables within each set such as coleoptile length, shoot length and fresh weight within the size set, and emergence rate index and germination percentage can be regarded as main factors for vigorous wheat seedlings. The variables such as root number, root weight and dry weight did not seem to have predictive power on seedling size measurements of wheat. Both emergence rate index and somewhat germination percentage within the first canonical variate of germination set appeared to be the correct factors for vigorous germination of wheat seed. Our analysis revealed that compared to other variables, coleoptile length and emergence rate index are powerful determinants of reliable germination, and in turn for better wheat stand establishment. Selecting for these traits in early generation is expected to increase the seedling vigor of wheat. Canonical correlation analysis was shown to be suitably sensitive to detect relationships between seedling variables in bread wheat.