The genetic diversity of components of rye hybrids.

The genetic variability between 5 open-pollinated varieties of rye (Secale cereale L) and between the components of rye hybrids was estimated using PCR-based marker analysis. The 22 maternal single crosses and 11 restorers were the components of hybrids investigated in the preofficial trials at the Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute in Radzików (PBAI), the Danko Breeding Co. Ltd (DBC) and in the Poznań Breeding Co. Ltd (PBC) during the 2001 growing season. The PCR system using semispecific primers targeting the intron-exon junction sequences of plant genes was applied for the evaluation of the genetic diversity of rye breeding materials. The genetic distances between varieties were relatively low. The coefficients of dissimilarity did not exceed 0,15. The highest average distance between maternal hybrids and restorers (0,28) was found in materials from PBAI, whereas in materials from PBC and DBC the average distances were lower and reached 0,21 and 0,20 respectively. The cluster analysis based on PCR data indicated that hybrid components that originated from different breeding centres exhibited different genetic characters.