Comparative germination responses to water potential across different populations of Aegilops geniculata and cultivar varieties of Triticum durum and Triticum aestivum

Crop Wild Relatives are often used to improve crop quality and yields because they contain genetically important traits that can contribute to stress resistance and adaptation. Seed germination of different populations of Aegilops geniculata Roth collected along a latitudinal gradient was studied under different drought stress in order to find populations suitable for improving drought tolerance in wheat. Different accessions of Aegilops neglecta Req. ex Bertol., Triticum aestivum L. and T. durum Desf. were used as comparison. Under full hydration, germination was high in all populations, but increasing drought stress led to reduced and delayed germination. Significant differences in final germination and mean time to germinate were detected among populations. Wheat, durum wheat and the southern population of Ae. geniculata were not significantly affected by drought stress, germinating similarly under all treatments. However, seed germination of the northern populations of Ae. geniculata was significantly reduced under high water stress treatment. Differences between populations of the same species could not be explained by annual rainfall across populations’ distributions, but by rainfall during seed development and maturation. Differences in the germination responses to drought found here highlight the importance of source populations as criteria for genotype selection for pre-breeders.