Twenty three durum wheat inbred lines, one triticale and six bread wheat cultivars were studied in aerated nutrient solutions for aluminum tolerance with six different levels of aluminum (0, 1, 2, 3,4 and 6 mg/I), under constant temperature, 25 ± 1°C and pH 4.0. Aluminum tolerance was evaluated by measuring the root growth in an aluminum-free complete nutrient solution after a treatment of 48 hours in an aluminum solution. All duram wheat lines and Siete Cerros and Anahuac bread wheat cultivars were sensitive to 1 mg/l of Al3+. The bread wheat Alondra-S-46 was sensitive to 4 mg/l of A]3+ The triticale Chiva and the bread wheats BH-1146, IAC-24 and IAC-60 exhibited tolerance to 6 mg/l of Al3+. The same genotypes were also studied in trials carried out in the field using acid and limed soils. The durum wheat lines presented low grain yield (939-2,243 kg(ha) and the triticale and bread wheat cultivars, tolerant to Al toxicity, showed high grain yield (3,584-4,922 kg/ha) in acid soil. The best durum wheat line produced 4,128 kg/ha and the best triticale and bread wheat cultivars produced 4,547 and 4,906 kg/ha, respectively, in limed soil. These results confirmed that incorporation of aluminum tolerance into the durum wheat germplasm is needed in order to permit its growth in acid soils.
bread wheat; Triticum aestivum L.; durum wheat; Triticum durum L.; triticale; genotypes; tolerance; aluminum toxicity; acid soils; limed soils