Question

A new crop triticale has been evolved by intergeneric hybridisation between
A. Wheat and Aegilops
B. Wheat and Rice
C. Rice and Maize
D. Rye and Wheat

Answer 1

Hint: Hybrid is progeny which is produced by breeding plants or animals of different varieties, races, or species and this process is said as hybridisation. Intergeneric hybrid is that offspring produced by cross between plants in two different genera in the same family. Intergeneric hybrids are always genetically related members of the same taxonomic tribe.

Complete answer:
Intergeneric hybrid is an intervarietal hybridization process in which crossing between parents of different genus of the same family. Intergeneric hybridization gives an opportunity to combine genomes from different plants and interest traits not found in the main genus of need. Mostly intergeneric hybrids are infertile. Intergeneric hybridization method has high capability for crop improvement by widening the genetic base from which plant breeders can choose the interest traits for high lysine content, salt tolerance, yellow dwarf resistance, drought tolerance, disease resistance etc.
Triticale was the first hybrid in laboratories of Scotland and Germany in the late 19th century. Triticale is a combination of Triticum spp. (wheat) and Secale spp(rye)., commercially available triticale is a second generation hybrid. Triticale consists of yield potential and grain quality of wheat and environmental and disease tolerance of rye. The resulting hybrid is sterile and by treating with colchicine it becomes fertile and able to reproduce itself.
So, the correct answer is “Option D”.

Note:
The main producers of triticale are Germany, France, China, Belarus and Poland. By intergeneric hybridization process it becomes easy to produce offspring with an interesting genome with better yield and quality. Triticale hybrids have four sets of 7 chromosomes from wheat and 7 from rye and it becomes chromosome number of 42, the same as wheat chromosome number.