Comparison of conventional and speed breeding systems for wheat and barley based on growth stages

Conventional and speed breeding experiments were conducted in a polycarbonate-enclosed greenhouse at the Faculty of Agriculture, Dicle University, Turkey. The objective was to evaluate the potential of speed breeding systems to shorten the crop breeding process and enhance the efficiency of breeding programs by examining their effects on wheat and barley genotypes. The responses of four bread wheat, four durum wheat, and five barley genotypes under speed breeding conditions were measured according to the Zadoks scale. Results revealed that durum wheat completed its vegetative phase the quickest, followed by barley and bread wheat. Under speed breeding conditions, the number of growth cycles achievable per year was 4.13 for bread wheat, 4.26 for barley, and 4.64 for durum wheat. Thus, the time required to obtain viable seeds in these three cereal species was reduced by an average of 37%. In obtaining viable seeds, barley showed the fastest growth rate.

Keywords:
Speed breeding; Zadoks scale; generation; cereal