Species belonging to the AEGILOPS genus are one of the most important genetic resources of wheat. This germplasm due to its breeding potential usually is served in wheat breeding programs. In the present study, genetic diversity among 60 accessions belonging to Ae. crassa and Ae. CYLINDRICA were investigated using start codon targeted polymorphism (SCoT) markers. The obtained banding pattern showed that in total 171 fragments were amplified across all investigated accessions, out of which 156 were polymorphic. The average values for polymorphism information content (PIC), resolving power (Rp), and marker index (MI) indices were estimated as 0.30, 16.27, and 3.18, respectively. The results of molecular analysis of variance (AMOVA) indicated that the most portion of genetic variation was belonged to within species than between them (79% vs. 21%). Based on the genetic variation parameters, Ae. crassa species showed greater levels of genetic variation compared with Ae. CYLINDRICA species. The results of cluster analysis based on Jaccard’s similarity matrix grouped all investigated accessions into two main groups, so that the grouping pattern was in accordance with their genomic constitution. Moreover, the results of principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) confirmed the grouping pattern obtained by cluster analysis. In conclusion, our results revealed considerable efficiency of SCoT markers in grouping the studied germplasm; hence the use of this marker system could be recommended in other genetic studies.

Chromosomes counting and flow cytometry method were used for assessing the ploidy level of various AEGILOPS CYLINDRICA Host (2n=4x=28, CCDD) accessions of the National Plant Gene Bank of Iran (NPGBI). About 100 different accessions of Ae. CYLINDRICA were estimated in flow cytometry analysis by using Ae. tauschii as a control sample. All the studied accessions fitted in 4x ploidy level. Chromosomes counts and flow cytometry data led to the same results. There was significant diversity in DNA index among Ae. CYLINDRICA accessions. Cluster analysis was used for the classification of Ae. CYLINDRICA based on their DNA content. Interestingly, accessions with smaller and larger DNA index had smaller and larger chromosome length, respectively. Also, the study of the relationship of DNA content and geographical distribution in Iran showed that there is diversity in DNA content of Ae. CYLINDRICA for different areas of Iran.

AEGILOPS genus is the main genetic source of variation for wheat breeders due to its breeding potential such as tolerance to both abiotic and biotic stresses. The main objective of this study were to evaluate the genetic diversity in 91 AEGILOPS accessions belonging to Ae. CYLINDRICA and Ae. crassa using microsatellite (SSR) markers. A total of 49 fragments were amplified using 25 tested primers in which 48 products were polymorphic. The average values of polymorphic information content (PIC) and gene diversity (H), resolving power (Rp) and marker index (MI) were 0. 26, 0. 34, 1. 29 and 0. 51, respectively. The results of molecular variance analysis (AMOVA) showed the highest portion of genetic variance referred to inter-species compared to intra-species. Based on genetic variation parameters, the highest values of variation parameters were recorded in Ae. crassa than Ae. CYLINDRICA accessions. Cluster analysis based on Jaccard’ s coefficients and neighbor-joining algorithm grouped all investigated accessions into two main clusters, so that all accessions were clearly separated from each other. The result of principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) revealed that the first two components accounted for 64. 98% of the total molecular variation. The PCoA-based biplot grouped all investigated accessions into two main groups. The result of population structure showed that all investigated accessions were recognized into five subpopulations, and FST index among them varied between 0. 52 and 0. 76 with an average of 0. 76. In conclusion, these results indicated high genetic variation in AEGILOPS genus collection and could be used in Wheat improvement programs and other genetic studies like QTL and association mapping are recommended.

In order to introduce drought tolerance indices on 48 accessions of AEGILOPS CYLINDRICA an experimental augmented design based on a randomized complete block design with 4 replications was conducted under non-stress and drought stress conditions at Agricultural Research Station of Ilam University. Combined analysis showed variation among the genotypes and also showed different responses of genotypes in stress and non-stress conditions. Based on the results of simple correlation analysis between the indices and biological yields of populations, Arithmetic Mean Productivity, Geometric Mean Productivity, Harmonic Mean Productivity and Tolerance Index showed strong correlation with biological yield in both stress and non-stress conditions and were efficient in screening populations. Principal components analysis showed that the first and second components were able to explain 91.49% of the variation. The first component, explaining 61.26 % of variation, confirmed the efficiency of mentioned indices for screening tolerant populations. Accordingly, with respect to the distribution of populations in biplot made by the first and second components, populations 9, 24, 34, 43, 42, 35, 45, 47, 48, 23, 18, 3, 26 and 4 had the highest performance in both normal and drought stress conditions and based on Arithmetic Mean Productivity, Geometric Mean Productivity, Harmonic Mean Productivity and Tolerance indices had a good tolerance to drought stress. Populations 14, 36, 10, 32, 17, 20, 12, 15, 46, 40, 11 and 37 had good performance in normal conditions. Populations 25, 41, 33, 5, 6, 2, 7, 44, 1 and 8 had optimum performance in drought stress. Populations 13, 16, 19, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 38 and 39 had week performance in both normal and drought stress conditions. Cluster analysis was relatively confirmed by principle components analysis. Populations 34, 24, 43 and 9 were introduced as tolerant populations with high biological yield in both normal and drought stress conditions at Ilam province climates.

Studies of postmeiotic chromosomes have been impeded by the thick exine of immature pollen grains. Chromosome staining of immature and adult pollen grains through conventional acetocarmine procedure is tedious and often leads to unsatisfactory results. An acetocarmine stain, used in conjugation with Carnoy’s solution as fixative for 72 hrs or until the chlorophyll-containing tissues of spike became colorless, were successfully used to stain chromosome bands and nucleoli of the immature pollen grain in AEGILOPS CYLINDRICA. Mitosis of immature pollen exhibited several remarkable features, one being the distinguishable haploid chromosome set of immature pollen. Only one of two nucleolus organizer regions of Ae. CYLINDRICA produced nucleolus at the prophase of first pollen mitosis. An acetocarmine-banded karyotype with only minor variations in the acetocarmine-banding pattern was revealed within and between plants of the accession of Ae. CYLINDRICA. Some of banding patterns in the chromosome complement was identical to marker C-bands or accession-specific bands in corresponding genome in Ae. caudata (CC) or Ae. squarrosa (DD). The reliability of the acetocarmine banding for Triticeae chromosome identification is discussed.

During an investigation on endophytic fungi of grasses of the tribe Triticeae (subtribe Triticinae) in the west and northwestern provinces of Iran, two species, viz. Sarocladium terricola and Selenophoma linicola, and one genus, Septoriella (S. allojunci), were newly identified for the funga of Iran using morphological traits and sequences of the internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2 including the intervening 5. 8S nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS). Selenophoma linicola and Septoriella allojunci, members of the class Dothideomycetes, were isolated from stem of AEGILOPS CYLINDRICA and leaf of A. CYLINDRICA in W. Azerbaijan and Lorestan provinces, respectively. Sarocladium terricola, belonging to the Sordariomycetes, was isolated from leaf of Triticum aestivum in Kermanshah province. All identified species are described and illustrated herewith, and compared with closely related species. AEGILOPS CYLINDRICA and T. aestivum are reported as new hosts (matrix nova) for these fungi.

Production of unreduced gametes during meiosis is common among interspecific hybrids of plants. In the present study, two cultivars of bread wheat (2n=6x=42, AABBDD) were reciprocally crossed with AEGILOPS triuncialis (2n=4x=28; UtUtCtCt) and Ae. CYLINDRICA (2n=4x=28; CcCcDcDc) to produce 20 interspecific hybrid combinations. The hypothesis was that unreduced gamete formation in T. aestivum ´ AEGILOPS triuncialis (2n=ABDUtCt; which lack a common subgenome) is more than that of T. aestivum ´ Ae. CYLINDRICA (2n=ABDDcCc) hybrids. This hypothesis was supported by the estimation of unreduced gametes in F1 hybrids. These results showed that lack of homologous genomes in T. aestivum ´ Ae. Triuncialis led to meiotic restitution in 3% of pollen mother cells (PMCs) resulting in unreduced gamete formation and F2 seed production.