LAUSR

Abstract The supernumerary spikelets (SS) characters of tetraploid wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) resulting in more spikelets and kernels per spike, thus enhancing sink capacity may contribute to potential wheat yield improvement. In order to investigate the effect of different SS types on agronomic characters and understand the genetic base of SS phenotype in tetraploid wheat, near isogenic lines (NILs), bh-50 with normal spikelets (NS), bh-51 with four-rowed spikelets (FRS), bh-52 with short-ramified spikelets (SRS), and bh-53 with long-ramified spikelets (LRS) in a Triticum durum cv. ZY1286 genetic background were developed by continuous backcrossing. Agronomic characters showed that the SS phenotype lines, bh-51, bh-52 and bh-53 have significant increase in the number of spikelets and grains per spike compared with the NS phenotype line bh-50 (P