Emir. J. Food Agric. 2014. 26 (2): 119-136 doi: 10.9755/ejfa.v26i2.16760 http://www.ejfa.info/ REGULAR ARTICLE Wheat landraces from Oman: A botanical analysis A. A. Filatenko1* and K. Hammer2 1N. I. Vavilov Research Institute of Plant Industry, Veteran Council, St. Petersburg, Russia 2University of Kassel, Faculty of Agriculture, International Rural Development and Environmental Protection, Witzenhausen, Germany Abstract The wheat landraces of Oman are chacterized. Their main constituents are Triticum aestivum L. ssp. aestivum, T. aestivum ssp. hadropyrum (Flaksb.) Tzvel., T. compactum Host, T. aethiopicum Jakubz.ssp. aethiopicum, T. aethiopicum ssp. vavilovianum Jakubz. et A. Filat. and T. dicoccon Schrank. The classification of the landraces was performed using the morphological method developed by Dorofeev, Filatenko et al. (1979), considering species, subspecies, convarieties and a great number of botanical varieties. Single landraces contained up to three different species (“Sareeaa”) and up to 17 different botanical varieties (“Missani”). T. aethiopicum var. hajirense A. Filat. et K. Hammer is newly described. Keys for the determination of important Omani wheat races are proposed. 15 wheat landraces of Oman are characterized morphologically. A detailed list describing origin, local names, and infraspecific taxa of the material is provided. Transformation processes of the oasis settlements lead to a replacement of the traditional agricultural systems and the landraces are threatened by genetic erosion. Additional measures are necessary to increase the possibilities for on-farm conservation of the valuable material of landraces. Key words: Wheat, Landraces, Triticum sp., Oman, Morphological characterization, Botanical classification Introduction dicoccon appeared. At the beginning of the new Oman on the Arabian Peninsula at the cross- millennium a program was started for exploring roads of inter-regional exchange including also and collecting the wheat landraces of Oman cultivated plants (Gebauer et al., 2007; Hammer et reporting about wheat landraces from Hajir al., 2007) is still rich in landraces of various crops. Mountains and describing new botanical varieties For a long time Oman was a closed country with of hexaploid wheats (Al-Maskri et al., 2003). first possibilities for botanical exploration, Hammer et al. (2004a) also found T. dicoccon especially in the last century. Older reports about subsp. asiaticum Vav. in Al Hamra, Misfat Abreen wheats are very limited (Schwarz, 1939; in the same Hajir Mountains. Mandeville, 1977). The presence of different wheat Wheat (Triticum L.) is one of the most species was not clear. Only some reports from important staple foods in the world and its neighbouring Yemen (Flaksberger, 1935; Vavilov, importance becomes even more acute as the global 1931, 1964) allowed some conclusions. A note population increases. Thus, its characterization and about wheat in Oman opened the way for new application in breeding programs is very crucial. activities (Akhtar, 1981; Chapman, 1985). In the The wealth of the Omani landraces has been late 1980s Oman was included in worldwide stressed in the last years (Filatenko et al., 2008). activities for the collection of plant genetic The importance of landraces as an important resources (Guarino, 1990) and the first information basis for present and future breeding was about the still existing cultivation of Triticum recognized relatively late (von Proskowetz, 1890). Their possible loss by the introduction and spread Received 19 April 2013; Revised 27 October 2013; Accepted of new highly productive varieties has been 23 November 2013; Published Online 01 December 2013 stressed also by Bauer (1914), Tschermack (1915) and Schindler (1918). Their preservation in *Corresponding Author genebanks was proposed, but it was not until the A. A. Filatenko development of the “plant gentic resources N. I. Vavilov Research Institute of Plant Industry, Veteran movement” (Pistorius, 1997) that their value was Council, St. Petersburg, Russia adequately appreciated. Zeven (1998) provided the Email: [email protected] necessary definitions and classifications for 119 A. A. Filatenko and K. Hammer landraces. He also questioned the on-farm For the characterization of the material, activities, as they have been done formerly, for the diversity studies have been carried out. Following maintaining of landraces (Zeven, 1996). Landraces the modern approach, a molecular evaluation was are commonly genetically heterogeneous, performed using microsatellites (Al Khanjari et al., developed through traditional agriculture over 2005, 2007 a and b). thousands of years by local farmers (Brush, 1999; After a preliminary morphological Hammer and Diederichsen, 2009). Landraces have characterization in 2002/ 2003 (Al Maskri et al., remained variable over long times, because eco- 2003; Hammer et al., 2004a), the classification and geographical structures are largely adaptive. Wheat identification of the germplasm material was farming in Oman is dependent on irrigation except determined in 2010 (A. Filatenko). The basis for for a small area in northern Oman which depends this work was the classical approach of Dorofeev, on rainfall. Filatenko et al. (1979) which allowed not only the determination of the species (for species Material and Methods designation we followed Hammer et al. (2011)), Exploration and collecting missions have been but also the infraspecific categories (a translation of organized in Oman (Al Maskri et al., 2003; Al the monograph is in preparation – Knüpffer et al., Khanjari et al., 2005). Samples have been 2004). The methodology was developed in the transferred to the experimental fields of the Vavilov Insitute, St. Petersburg and proved to be University of Kassel in Witzenhausen where the useful for an exact classification of the material, for characterization and evaluation of the material took getting information towards its diversity and for place. following the process of genetic erosion (Bürkert et The description of agronomically important al., 2006), particularly in cases of monitoring and useful characteristics is an important landraces in certain areas (Hammer et al., 1996). prerequisite for effective and efficient use of A map of Oman is presented in Figure 1, a germplasm collections in future breeding programs. photo of variable landrace is shown in Figure 2, The checklist-method has been used for a and the main collecting areas are presented in species survey (Hammer et al., 2004b, 2009). Table 1. Figure 1. Map of Oman showing the Hajar Mountains where most of the newly discovered botanical wheat varieties were found (above) and the country’s different districts where the wheat germplasm survey was conducted (below) 120 Emir. J. Food Agric. 2014. 26 (2): 119-136 http://www.ejfa.info/ Figure 2. Typical spikes of the landrace „Walidi“ from Baladseet (Biladsayt) (left),. T. compactum var. maqtaense (A. Filat. et K. Hammer) A. Filat. (Walidi) (right). Table 1. Summary of the collection areas (point range). District Altitude Latitude Longitude Dhahira 300m - 700m 56o30 - 56o37 23 o41 - 23 o18 Batinah 400m - 800m 56o29 - 57o37 23o59 - 23o11 Dakhilia 300m - 900m 57o04 - 57o12 22o48 - 23o06 Sharquia 300m - 1500m 59o09 - 58°45 22°59 - 23o47 Musandam 50m - 400m 55o57 - 56o18 26o04 - 24o24 compactum, convar. rigidicompactum (Kudr.) A. Results and Discussion Filat. and convar. inflatum (Vav. et Kob.) A. Filat. Many botanical varieties of cultivated wheat The latter one was not found in Oman (see Al have been observed and collected in Oman. The Khanjari, 2005, 2007b, 2008). results of the classification are shown in Appendix Plants and spikes of T. compactum are of 1. A short discussion arranged by species is delicate structure, glumes usually thinly coriaceous, provided in the following. Wild-growing species with a transverse depression at the base. Caryopses of wheat and T. monococcum L. have not been loosely enclosed by lemma and palea and easy to found in Oman. thresh. Convar. compactum is distributed Hexaploid wheats throughout the whole Old World. In the 20th Triticum compactum Host century it was particularly cultivated in Siberia, The finding of a wide distribution of T. Russian Far East, Yakutia, Mongolia and China but compactum in Oman is especially interesting. In never common. the neighbouring countries this species is very rare T. compactum is not associated with any (Iran), or not found at all (Ethiopia). particular distribution area, but, according to It is ecologically a typical mountain wheat, Vavilov (1964), it represents relicts to a which includes, according to Vavilov (1935), considerable degree. Two botanical varieties moisture-loving forms with a low temperature belong to convar. compactum, namely, var. requirement in the period of ripening and tolerance balatseetense (K. Hammer et A. Filat.) A. Filat., against decreasing temperature in spring, which are var. maqtaense (A. Filat. et K. Hammer) A. Filat. not demanding with respect to soil and cultivation Spikes of this group are awned, half-awned; conditions. less often awnless, glumes rigid, more often half- Three groups of varieties are distinguished rigid; caryopses closely enclosed in lemma and within T. compactum. These were: convar. 121 A. A. Filatenko and K. Hammer palea, but are usually easy-to-thresh, less often shedding grains exist, the degree of enclosure of threshing is difficult. the caryopsis by the lemma and palea is determined by the amount of convexity of the lower half of