Combining ability for aluminium tolerance in triticale

Root re-growth, following aluminium (Al) stress, has been used as an indicator of Al stress tolerance. Genetic variation in root re-growth characteristics among eight triticale genotypes was investigated by a diallel analysis. Highly significant variation due to both general combining ability (GCA) effects and specific combining ability (SCA) effects indicated that both additive effects and non-additive effects were important in explaining the genetic variation for Al tolerance. The high estimates of heritability and the predictability ratio for root re-growth revealed the preponderance of additive genetic variance in the inheritance of Al tolerance. Differences in patterns of GCA effects and SCA effects among the parents provided strong evidence that the genetic control of variation for Al tolerance as assessed by root re-growth was a complex polygenic system. Three Al-tolerant genotypes, Tahara, Abacus, and 19th ITSN 70–4, were found to be the best general combiners for larger root re-growth, and they could be used in hybridization programmes to improve Al stress tolerance by following a simple pedigree method of selective breeding.