Synthetic Hexaploid Wheat As a Source of Favorable Alleles for Yield In An Advanced Backcross QTL Winter Wheat Population.

• Great Plains winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) would benefit from additional genetic diversity for agronomic traits. We used advanced backcross quantitative trait locus (AB-QTL) analysis to identify QTL for yield and yield components from a cross between the winter wheat cultivar Ankor and the synthetic hexaploid-derived spring wheat line Sokoll. Replicated field trials were grown in Colorado in five years. In 2007, 230 BC2F2 families were grown in two replications in under partially and fully irrigated conditions. In 2008 and 2009 188 BC2F2:3 lines with were grown in partially and fully irrigated conditions. In 2010, the 22 best and 22 worst BC2F2:3 lines were grown in three rainfed environments, and finally, in 2011, the eight best and eight worst lines were grown under partially and fully irrigated conditions. Phenotypic data were collected for agronomic, developmental, and morphological traits. The F2 population was genotyped using 151 microsatellite markers, and 42 of these were genotyped in the BC2F2:3 generation for use in single factor QTL analysis. 68 QTL were detected across nine traits. Sokoll contributed the favorable allele at 30 of 68 (44%) QTL (Ankor = 54%). In addition, Sokoll contributed the favorable allele in 5 of 13 QTL for yield. Our study indicated that favorable alleles for agronomic traits can be transferred to elite cultivars using the AB-QTL strategy.