Aegilops-rye amphiploids and substitution rye used for introgression of genetic material into rye (Secale cereale L.).

The valuable genes of Aegilops biuncialis, Ae. ovata, Ae. kotschyi, and Ae. variabilis were transferred to rye, by crossing Aegilops-rye amphiploids with tetraploid and diploid substitution rye. The C-banded karyotype of the BC1 and BC2 generations of amphiploids with 4x substitution rye and BC1 with 2x substitution rye showed great variation in chromosome number and composition. In the BC1 generation of amphiploids with 4x and 2x substitution rye, seed set success rate and germination rate varied depending on origin. However, plant sterility in all cross combinations of amphiploids with 4x and 2x substitution rye resulted in their elimination from further experiments in the BC3 and BC2 generations, respectively. In backcrosses of 4x substitution rye with amphiploids Ae. variabilis × rye 4x, fertile 4x rye plants containing Aegilops chromatin were produced in the BC2 generation.