Distribution of the Rht-B1b, Rht-D1b and Rht8 reduced height genes in autumn-sown Chinese wheats detected by molecular markers

Reduction of plant height has played a significant role in improving wheat production and knowledge of dwarfing genes in Chinese wheat will be very important for developing high yielding cultivars. Molecular markers were used to detect the presence of genes Rht-B1b (Rht1), Rht-D1b (Rht2) and Rht8 in 220 wheat genotypes from autumn-sown wheat regions in China. They include landmark landraces, leading cultivars and core parents involved in wheat breeding from the 1950s to the present. Results indicated that Rht-D1b and Rht8 dominate with frequencies of 45.5% and 46.8%, respectively, followed by Rht-B1b with a frequency of 24.5%. The frequencies of Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b increased, from 8.6 to 32.2% and 36.2 to 53.4%, respectively, whereas the frequency of Rht8 has remained constant over time, when compared with cultivars released before and after 1990. This indicates that both the Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b were successfully used in wheat production in Chinese environments. Our study shows that Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b can be used in the post-anthesis heat stressed environments. Rht-B1b in Chinese wheats is derived from two sources, viz., Norin 10 and the Italian introduction St2422/464 (Rht-B1b and Rht8). The identity of Rht-B1b in these two sources still needs to be confirmed. Suwon 86 carrying both Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b, and Chinese cultivars, Huixianhong and Yaobaomai, are the primary sources of Rht-D1b in Chinese wheats. It is likely that Rht-D1b in Youbaomai derives from an unknown introduction. Italian introductions such as Funo and Abbondanza, and Lovrin 10 with the 1B/1R translocation, and Chinese landraces are the three major sources of Rht8. This information will be very valuable for wheat breeding in China, and internationally.