Quality prediction and improvement in Lesotho commercial wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars

• The objectives of this study were to characterize wheat cultivars grown in Lesotho according to their glutenin and gliadin banding patterns with the use of SOS-PAGE, estimate GCA, SCA, h2, heterosis and correlation of wheat quality traits by crossing poor, medium and good breadmaking qualities in a full diallel design to create F 1 and F2 progeny, and determine the potential of SE-HPLC in predicting quality of wheat cultivars. • Glutenin and gliadin proteins were separated using SOS-PAGE. Cultivars used for estimating combining ability were grown in pots and crossed in the greenhouse at Bloemfontein. The F 1 progeny were grown in Lesotho and Bloemfontein while the F2 progeny were grown in Bloemfontein. Protein extracted from the wheat flour of all this material were analysed by SEHPLC. • Seven wheat quality characteristics were analysed at the Agricultural Research Council, Bethlehem for parents, F1 and F2 progeny. • Analysis of variance and correlations were employed as statistical tools to analyse the data generated from storage protein, combining ability trials and SE-HPLC. • Results revealed that gliadins and LMW-GS were able to distinguish 30 cultivars of wheat grown in Lesotho, while HMW-GS enabled cultivars to be grouped. • The ANO VA indcated significant differences between parents and F 1 progeny and parents and F 2 progeny for all characteristics studied. The mean squares for GCA, SCA and reciprocals were significant for all measured characteristics in the F 1 generation, while in the F 2, the mean squares for GCA were significant for all but one characterisics. Mean squares for SCA and reciprocals were significant for all characteristics in the F2 generation. • To improve or enhance quality, Wanda, SST 124 and Sceptre could be incorporated into the breeding programme. Crosses such as Sceptre x Kariega, SST 124 x Nata, Wanda x Nata, Sceptre x Wanda, Kariega x Wanda, Kariega x Sceptre, SST 124 x Sceptre, Wanda x SST 124, Nata x Kariega and Nata x SST 124 should also be incorporated into the programme. • F 1 progeny showed non-additive gene action in all characteristics while F2 progeny showed four characteristics to be controlled by non-additive gene action while the others were controlled by additive gene action. • Heritability in the broad sense was high for all characteristics in the F 1 and F2 progeny, whereas heritability in the narrow sense was higher for F2thanF1 progeny. • Midparent heterosis and best parent heterosis was expressed in four characteristics. • Highly significantly positive and negative correlations were observed between quality characteristics in F1 and F2 progeny. • Results ofSE-HPLC showed that large polymeric and large monomeric proteins can be used as predictors of good and poor quality respectively, in the parents and F 1 and F2 progeny.