281 Euphytica 100: 281–286, 1998.  1998 Kluwer A cademic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. Screening for zinc efficiency among wheat relatives and their utilisation for alien gene transfer R. Schlegel 1 , I. Cakmak 2 , B. Torun 2 , S. Eker 2 , I. Tolay 2 , H. Ekiz 3 , M. Kalayci 4 & H.J. Braun 5 1 Institute of Wheat & Sunflower Research, BG-9520 General Toshevo/Varna, Bulgaria; 2 Department of Soil Sciences, University of Cukurova, TR-01330 A dana, Turkey; 3 Bahri Dagaþ International Winter Cereals Re- search Centre, P.O. Box 325, Konya, Turkey; 4 Transitional Region A gricultural Research Institute, TR-26130 Eskisehir, Turkey; 5 CIM M Y T, P.K . 39, E m ek , T R -06511 A nk ara, Turk ey Key words: zinc efficiency, zinc deficiency, alien chromosome transfer, cereals, wheat Summary Genetic diversity for micronutrient efficiency among the most highly adapted and advanced hexaploid and tetraploid wheat cultivars in the world is limited compared with alien species of wheat or rye. Therefore, screening for zinc efficiency was conducted in greenhouse experiments under controlled conditions, and in field trials. Different varieties of hexaploid wheat, hexaploid oats and diploid rye, together with hexaploid and octoploid triticales, wheat-A gropyron , wheat-A egilops and several wheat-alien chromosome addition series were studied. Considerable differences in zinc efficiency were found between wheat and its relatives. Individ- ual chromosomes of Secale, A gropyron and Haynaldia were found to carry major genes for this character. The transfer of alien chromosome segments was effective, demonstrated using several wheat-rye translocation lines. Alien genetic information was clearly expressed in the wheat genetic background. Further experimental introgressions by chromosome manipulation and marker-aided selection may efficiently contribute to wheat improvement in marginal soils. Introduction Micronutritional efficiency and, in particular, zinc (Zn) efficiency recently became a major breeding task in Turkey and several other countries faced with a considerable area of zinc deficient arable land (Cakmak et al., 1996a; Graham et al., 1992; Takkar & Walker, 1993). Micronutrient efficiency is defined as the tolerance of plant genotypes and/or phenotypes to micronutrient-deficient soils, i.e., those that are better adapted to micronutrient defi- cient soils than a common genotype and/or variety of a given species. Superior tolerance is usually measured in terms of grain or dry matter yield, and does not imply a physiological mechanism (Gra- ham, 1984). For wheat, a limited number of experiments has indicated genetic variability in zinc efficiency (Cak- mak et al., 1994; Graham et al., 1992; Hanman, 1991; Shula & Raj, 1974; Solunke & Malewar, 1987). However, already results are demonstrating that re- lated species and genera are more Zn efficient, in particular rye (Cakmak et al., 1996b; Cakmak et al., see these proceedings). Since selection for micro- nutritional efficiency among cereals and related species has already been successful for copper, iron and other nutrients (Schlegel et al., 1991), the pre- sent experiments were conducted to search for fur- ther genetic variability in Zn efficiency. Several am- phidiploids, aneuploids and translocation karyo- types were included in the trial. If major genes for Zn efficiency exist, the experiments should also in-