Subtle but Significant: Intraspecific Genome Size Variation in Durum Wheat Landraces and Cultivars

Genome size is a significant trait connected to the evolutionary history of plants and frequently linked to speciation events. In the current study, we evaluated intraspecific variation in 2C-values across a durum wheat collection comprising landraces and cultivars of diverse origins, preserved in the Cypriot gene bank. Forty-seven accessions were analysed by Propidium Iodide (PI) staining/flow cytometry (FCM), and subtle differences were noted. 2C content varied from 25.04 pg for Kyperounta landrace to 26.78 pg for ARI00068. In general, 2C value overlap was observed across the collection, although some accessions were distinguished. Comparison among landraces and modern varieties indicated that landraces exhibit a broader range of 2C content than cultivars, but a clear clustering based on geographic origin was not observed. The genome size data provided here could offer an additional layer of information for germplasm collections and serve as a stepping stone for further omics analyses.