Nine bread wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) genotypes were crossed in a line × tester mating design. The 20 F₁'s and their parents were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replications at the Field Crop Institute-Agricultural Experimental Station of Setif (Algeria) during the 2011/2012 cropping season. The results indicated that sufficient genetic variability was observed for all characters studied. A₈₉₉ × Rmada, A₈₉₉ × Wifak, and A₁₁₃₅ × Wifak hybrids had greater grain yield mean than the parents. A₉₀₁line and the tester Wifak were good combiners for the number of grains per spike. MD is a good combiner for 1000-kernel weight and number of fertile tillers. HD₁₂₂₀is a good general combiner to reduce plant height; Rmada is a good general combiner to shorten the duration of the vegetative growth period. A₉₀₁ × Wifak is a best specific combiner to reduce plant height, to increase 1000-kernel weight and number of grains per spike. AA × MD is a best specific combiner to reduce duration of the vegetative period, plant height and to increase the number of kernels per spike. A₈₉₉ × Wifak showed the highest heterosis for grain yield, accompanied with positive heterosis for the number of fertile tillers and spike length, and negative heterosis for 1000-kernel weight and the number of days to heading.σgca2/σsca2, (σD2/σA2)1/2low ratios and low to intermediate estimates of h²_nssupported the involvement of both additive and nonadditive gene effects. The preponderance of non-additive type of gene actions clearly indicated that selection of superior plants should be postponed to later generation.

Three selection methods including direct and indirect selection along with selection index based on the phenotypic values of eleven traits of agronomic interest were assessed for their application in F₄bread wheat progenies. Significant genetic variation existed among parents and crosses for the traits measured. The following were the most efficient indices for simultaneous selection of superior lines for yield and its components: base index of Williams, followed by the sum of ranks index of Smith and Hazel. The selection-based index provided the highest grain yield gains as compared to the other selection criteria, except for flag leaf area, indicating that the direct and indirect monotrait selection were not appropriate in the situation analyzed in this work. PCA identified Ain Abid × Mahon-Demias, Ain Abid × Rmada, and Ain Abid × El-Wifak as the most promising populations. At 5% selection intensity, the top 30 lines selected were distinguished, in comparison with the standard check Hidhab, by significant improvements in yield and yield components.

This study aimed at evaluating the expected gains from selection obtained based upon direct, indirect, and index-based selection in a set of 599 bread wheat lines. The experiment was carried out at the experimental field of INRAA institute, Setif research unit (Algeria), in a Federer augmented block design including three controls. A wide range of genetic variability was observed among lines for the eleven traits assessed. The results indicated that index-based selection and selection based on grain yield expressed higher expected genetic gain than direct and indirect mono-trait-based selection. The best 15 selected lines exhibited higher grain yield than the control varieties, and they were clustered in three groups that contrasted mainly for the flag-leaf area, thousand-kernel weight, biomass, and harvest index. The index-based selection appears as a useful tool for the rapid selection of early filial generations, enriching selected breeding materials with desirable alleles and reducing the number of years required to combine these traits in elite varieties.

Relationships among agronomic traits and grain yield were investigated in 56 genotypes of durum wheat (Triticum durumDesf.). The results indicated the presence of sufficient variability nearly for all measured traits. Heritability and expected genetic gain varied among traits. Aboveground biomass, harvest index, and spike number were the most grain yield-influencing traits. Early genotypes showed above-average grain and biological yields, spike number, and lower canopy temperature. Assessed genotypes were clustered into three groups which differed mainly for biological, economical, straw, and grain yields, on the one hand, and plant height, chlorophyll content, and canopy temperature, on the other hand. Selection for direct use from clusters carrying best combinations of yield-related traits and crosses to be made between genotypes belonging to contrasted clusters were suggested to generate more variability. Selection preferentially for spike number, biological yield, harvest index, and canopy temperature to accumulate favorable alleles in the selected entries for future uses is suggested.

The genetic improvement of any breeding population largely depends upon the magnitude of genetic variability present. This study was carried out to estimate parameters of the genetic variation among 13 quantitative traits of bread wheat evaluated at INRAA-Setif institute (Algeria) during the 2020–2021 crop season in a rainfed environment. 34 genotypes including four control checks were planted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Genotypes showed significant variations for almost all the studied traits. Proline content, spikes weight, and grain yield exhibited a high genotypic coefficient of variation along with moderate to high heritability coupled with a high genetic gain, suggesting the implication of additive gene action. The number of spikes, spikes weight, and thousand kernel weight were significantly and positively correlated with grain yield at both phenotypic and genotypic levels. Path analysis results showed that spikes weight is an important route through which most of the measured traits influenced indirectly grain yield. Lines L1, L20, L28, L16, and L18 exhibited a sizeable grain yield advantage, which suggests they are potential candidates for future release and could be incorporated into the wheat breeding programs as parents to improve yield in the rainfed environments of Algeria

Wheat is a vital crop globally, essential for agriculture, economics, and food security. However, in arid and semi-arid conditions, wheat production faces significant challenges due to low water availability, uneven rainfall distribution, and high soil salinity. The germination and early seedling stages are particularly vulnerable to these stresses. Therefore, this study assessed 15 wheat genotypes for their tolerance to salinity stress during early growth stages, using a hydroponic system with four salt stress levels (0, 50, 100, and 150 mM NaCl). Significant differences were observed for genotype and salinity main effects and their interaction on all investigated traits, indicating considerable variability in the response to salt stress among the investigated wheat cultivars. High NaCl concentrations led to substantial reductions in measured parameters across genotypes, with some showing resilience while others exhibited heightened sensitivity. Stress tolerance indices, such as mean productivity (MP), geometric mean productivity (GMP), harmonic mean (HM), stress tolerance index (STI) and yield index (YI), were identified as reliable indicators for selecting salt-tolerant wheat cultivars. Consequently, Sidi Okba (G11), Ziad (G12), Tamezghida (G13) and Zidane (G14) emerged as the most promising, displaying acceptable performance under both non-stress and salt-stress conditions. These genotypes could serve as valuable genetic resources for breeding programs aimed at enhancing wheat’s salinity tolerance, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions.