Towards buckwheat breeding on high protein content with use of embryo-endosperm ratio in seeds

Abstract Buckwheat breeding on high protein content in seeds was not previously carried out due to the lack of clear selection criteria. Based on the study of the protein content in various organs of buckwheat seed, we proposed a method for selecting a high protein content based on the ratio of the embryo and endosperm in the seed. It was found that the embryo contained 8.3 times more protein than the endosperm (49.9 % and 6.0 %, respectively). At the same time, the contribution of the embryo to the total protein content in the seed is 74 %. The use of correlation analysis shows an independent change in the mass of the embryo and endosperm, which facilitates the use of the “high proportion of the embryo in the seed” trait in the selection process. 9 varieties of buckwheat were studied by embryo mass, endosperm and embryo share in the seed. The most suitable varieties for use in breeding for high protein content are buckwheat Batyr and Bogatyr, which are characterized by low endosperm content and a high proportion of the embryo in the seed. To increase the variation in the content of the embryo and endosperm, it is proposed to use a hybrid material and search for mutations that affect the ratio of the embryo and endosperm in the seed. The basics of the method of growing buckwheat from isolated embryos in soil culture and selecting plants by the mass of viable embryos in the seed are developed.