Genetic diversity and agronomic performance of wheat landraces currently grown in Tajikistan

Tajikistan is rich in genetic resources and one of a few countries where farmers still grow wheat (Triticum spp) landraces, which are important for production and breeding. This study undertook morphological description and agronomic and genomic characterization of wheat landraces collected in Tajikistan in 2013 and 2014 to develop opportunities for their use in breeding and on-farm maintenance. In total, 60 wheat landraces were collected from 40 villages in 14 administrative districts and four regions. They were evaluated for agronomic traits in field trials in Turkey. The study identified six distinct regions where landraces are still grown. The villages growing the landraces were remote, with the distance to the nearest market being 30-100 km. The area allocated to wheat landraces varied from 0.01 to 2 ha. The main reason for maintaining the wheat landraces was their suitability for homemade bread and specific adaptation to high altitude. Overall, 68 distinct lines originating from landraces were identified using morphological and genomic descriptions. A core set of 30 lines was selected and field phenotyped under rain-fed conditions. Several landraces (Joydori, Safedak, Surkhaki besuk, Shukhak, Surkh-suk, and Kilaki bartang) that exceeded local check for grain yield and size were identified. Cluster analysis using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array kinship matrix demonstrated relatedness between the landraces from different regions of Tajikistan and from neighboring regions of Uzbekistan. The value of this study for the international community is in conservation of rare and unique wheat landraces that could have been lost in the future.