Development of purple-grain triticale

Purple-colored grains of cereal crops are characterized by high antioxidant activity. Anthocyanins, polyphenolic compounds found in the pericarp of their grains, have beneficial effects on human health. However, triticale has not yet developed forms with anthocyanin-rich purple grain color. The aim of this work was to obtain new forms of wheat-rye amphiploids with purple grain color using marker-assisted breeding and to compare their anthocyanin content and productivity indicators. Molecular DNA markers were used to determine the genotype of hybrids produced by triticale Sadko (× Triticosecale Wittmack) and a purple-colored emmer wheat line 27-3/17 (T. dicoccum (Schrank) Schuebl.). Purple-colored F₃ hybrids carried two complementary dominant genes Pp3 and Pp-B1 in a homozygous state responsible for the high content of anthocyanins in the grain. In subsequent generations, the wheat-rye amphiploids had a purple grain color. The total anthocyanin content in the whole grain flour of the hybrids ranged from 36 to 529.3 μg/g. The high content was recorded in sample 2-1-6-6 (529.3 μg/g). Samples 2-1-1-4e, 2-1-5-10a and 2-1-6-4b were at the control level (emmer wheat – 382.6 3 μg/g). The F_5–6 hybrid plants had a typical hexaploid triticale phenotype. The spike length and the number of spikelets exceeded those of emmer wheat. The number of spike grains in the hybrids was less than that in the Sadco triticale averaging at 28.0 and 34.4 in 2024 and 2025, respectively. 1,000 grain weight of purple-grained triticale families in 2025 was comparable to the Sadko maternal form and averaged 47.6 g. The yield per unit area of hybrid families (470 g/m²) in 2025 was higher than that of emmer wheat (306 g/m²), but lower than that of Sadko (584 g/m²). Thus, the breeding material of purple-grained triticale forms was obtained, which in a number of ways is similar to the triticale Sadko maternal form, but differs from the paternal form of the purple grain donor emmer wheat.

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