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Research on Crops

Multivariate analysis of spike morpho-productive traits in advanced winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for genetic diversity and breeding optimisation


DOI: 10.31830/2348-7542.2026.ROC-1313    | Article Id: ROC-1313 | Page : 211-221
Citation :- Multivariate analysis of spike morpho-productive traits in advanced winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for genetic diversity and breeding optimisation. Res. Crop. 27: 211-221
GHEBRIEL O. DEKIN, VALERY A. BURLUTSKIY AND F. DUKSI ghebrielokba@gmail.com
Address : RUDN University, 6 Miklukho-Maklaya St, 117198, Moscow, Russia Federation
Submitted Date : 24-04-2026
Accepted Date : 13-05-2026
Online Published:

Abstract

Despite the global importance of bread wheat in food security, limited understanding of genetic diversity and the contribution of phenotypic variables to genetic divergence constrain effective yield improvement. Hence, there is a need to apply multivariate tools like cluster analysis and PCA to identify key traits and diverse genotypes for optimising wheat breeding programs and enhancing productivity.  This study explored the phenotypic architecture and yield potential of a diverse winter wheat population (N=6,999) derived from crosses between elite cultivars (Nemchinovskaya 24, Kasar 17) and the interspecific hybrid PPPG 287. The study was conducted at the Kaluga Agricultural Experimental Station, situated in the Peremyshlsky District of the Kaluga Region, Russia, during the 2022-2023 growing season. Multivariate analysis via PCA explained 93.03% of the total variance across four principal components. PC1 (45.2%) was primarily driven by reproductive efficiency traits (attributive value(AV), grain number, and fertility), while PC2 reflected structural architecture, specifically spike length and spikelet number. K-means clustering successfully distinguished a 'structural-extensive' morphotype (defined by spike length and TKW) from a 'density-intensive' ideotype (defined by grain number and AV). An elite subpopulation derived from the intensive cluster achieved a 39.7% gain in resource-use efficiency (AV) and a 26.36% increase in grain set (GN). Notably, this group decoupled the traditional grain size–number trade-off, maintaining a thousand-kernel weight of 57.65 g. The reduced variability in fertility and grain number confirms phenotypic convergence toward a stabilized, high intensity ideotype, demonstrating that integrating distant hybrid material like PPPG 287 provides a robust framework for accelerating genetic gains in winter wheat.

Keywords

Genetic improvement ideotype multivariate statistical methods phenotypic grouping phenotypic variation spike productivity

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