Peroxidase diversity in hexaploid wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.) Thell.]

Seven hexaploid wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.) Thell.] varieties and six F₁- lines constituted the experimental materials for estimating the peroxidase diversity. The similarity matrix was constructed with Jaccard's coefficisent and dendogram was generated with UPGMA using NTSYSPC version 2.01 software (Rohlf, 2000). The differential banding pattern of the F₁S from their parents may be attributed to resufling of genes. Peroxidase polymorphism among wheat varieties represented by their variation in band numbers was indicative of genotypic variation. Both genetic closeness and distinctness in the molecular level were evident from the results of commonness and distinctness in respect of band numbers and Rm values. A difference in band intensity and bandwidth was indicative of intervarietal differences in peroxidase activity. The stress tolerant variety C-306 had higher peroxidase activity in comparison to other varieties, suggesting that this isozyme synthesis might have taken place as a measure of defensive response to water stress.