Rye breeding using F1 hybrid began about 30 years ago, when cytoplasmically inherited forms of male sterility (CMS) and corresponding nuclear restorers were detected. It is very important to produce inbred lines for making hybrid lines because of strong self-incompatibility in rye. Among the 456 rye germplasms used in hybrid breeding scheme, 24 lines (5.3%) had the above 60% of self-fertility, and six lines of them were selected for their good agronomic characteristics and were used for subsequent inbreeding program. The average self-fertility of selected six lines was 78.4%, ranging from 72.2 to 99.5%. Genetic analysis for the self-fertility using F2 populations showed that the segregation of self-fertile and sterile plants in F2 populations could be fit into 3 to 1 ratio suggesting self-fertility in rye be controlled by one major gene. The four different self-fertile lines, PI237923, 5C11, 5G5 and Florida black, had the same self-fertility gene because their F2 plants showed almost the same self-fertility as their parents and showed no genetic segregation

Granule bound starch synthase (GBSS), also known as the '"waxy protein'", is responsible for the synthesis of amylose in the amyloplasts of cereal crops. In hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), GBSS is involved in amylose synthesis and rolls as an important factor to determine flour quality and end-use quality in food products. Genes on three Wx loci have been found to encode GBSS in common wheats. We developed techniques for the purification and separation of GBSS in wheat. Three major GBSS isoforms, which were encoded by the genes on three loci, Wx-A1, Wx-B1, and Wx-D1 migrating differently by one dimensional SDS-po-lyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (1D SDS-PAGE), were identified. GBSS from 66 Korean hard and soft winter wheats were purified and determined for their Wx loci and four of them were identified possessing a null allele either at the Wx-A1 and Wx-B1 loci. With help of identification of three GBSS isoforms using 1D SDS-PAGE system, we are able to identify and monitor Wx gene expressions in breeding materials for developing waxy or partial waxy wheats without experiencing consecutive selecting generations.cting generations.