Carbohydrate Assimilation and Translocation Regulate Grain Yield Formation in Wheat Crops (Triticum aestivum L.) under Post-Flowering Waterlogging

Abstract

In a two-year field study, we quantified the impact of post-flowering soil waterlogging on carbon assimilation and grain yield formation in wheat crops. At anthesis, wheat cultivars YangMai 18 (YM18) and YanNong 19 (YN19) were waterlogged for different durations, i.e., 0 (W0), 3 (W3), 6 (W6) and 9 (W9) days using artificial structures. Changes in leaf physiology, carbon assimilation and biomass production were quantified at 0, 7, 14, and 21 days after anthesis under all treatments. Short-term (W3) waterlogging had no significant effect on wheat crops but W6 and W9 significantly reduced the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), leaf SPAD value, and grain weight of the tested cultivars. Increasing waterlogging duration significantly increased dry matter accumulation in the spike-axis + glumes but reduced dry matter accumulation in grain. Further, the tested cultivars responded significantly variably to W6 and W9. Averaged across two years, YM 18 performed relatively superior to YN19 in response to long-term waterlogging. For example, at 14 days after anthesis, W9 plants of YM18 and YN19 experienced a 17.4% and 23.2% reduction in SPAD and 25.3% and 30.8% reduction in Pn, respectively, compared with their W0 plants. Consequently, YM18 suffered a relatively smaller grain yield loss (i.e., 16.0%) than YN19 (23.4%) under W9. Our study suggests that wheat cultivar YM18 could protect grain development from waterlogging injury by sustaining assimilates supplies to grain under waterlogged environments.

Optimized Phosphorus Application Alleviated Adverse Effects of Short-Term Low-Temperature Stress in Winter Wheat by Enhancing Photosynthesis and Improved Accumulation and Partitioning of Dry Matter

“…Due to dehydration and poor photosynthesis caused by low-temperature stress, dry matter accumulation of aboveground organs and transportation to grains significantly decreased [6]. Ma et al [51] also found that stress reduced dry matter assimilation and translocation capacity in the post-flowering stages. As a vital element, phosphorus improved stress tolerance and nutrient transport capacity to grains in wheat [52].…”

Editorial: Adaptation of plants to waterlogging and hypoxia

“…linked growth inhibition in peanut ( Arachis hypogea L.) variety DH-86 with impaired photosynthetic pigments, antioxidative enzymes, and chlorophyll fluorescence under waterlogging. Earlier studies also linked poor photosynthesis performance with waterlogging sensitivity in crops such as cotton ( Najeeb et al., 2015 ), and common and durum wheat ( Cotrozzi et al., 2021 ; Ma et al., 2021 ). Ma et al.…”