Combining yield potential and drought resilience in a spring wheat diversity panel

Due to climate change, multiple heat events are expected to be an additional limiting factor that will adversely affect wheat production. The study aimed to analyze the physiological response to heat stress in four winter wheat cultivars at different physiological stages under greenhouse conditions during 2019. The net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll index, maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II, fructose, glucose and sucrose content, grain yield per plant, grain weight and number of grains per plant were analyzed in wheat cultivars under short periods of heat stress at anthesis and mid‐grain filling, and combined stress at anthesis and mid‐grain filling. The results of the study indicated that heat stress modified the photosynthesis‐related and grain yield–related traits. Moreover, heat stress caused a decrease of sucrose content, while fructose and glucose content increased. Heat stress had more pronounced effects on the photosynthetic parameters and grain yield during grain filling than during anthesis. A significant variation observed among cultivar responses to the negative impact of heat stress highlighted the fact that cultivars Pobeda and Gladius were more tolerant than Renesansa and Simonida. Different cultivar reactions to heat stress during anthesis and grain filling indicated the need to conduct further studies with wheat cultivars of different origin in order to identify additional sources of tolerance.

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“…Moreover, Griffiths et al. (2020) reported a negative relationship between leaf glucose content and grain yield in wheat.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of high temperature during anthesis and grain filling on physiological characteristics of winter wheat cultivars

Mirosavljević

Mikić

Župunski

et al. 2021

J Agronomy Crop Science

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“…The method of sugar extraction and measurement is based on Griffiths et al (2020). Briefly, to perform the assay, we added 5 μL of ethanolic extract to 145 μL of reaction buffer [100 mM HEPES pH 7.4, mM MgCl2, 1 mM NAD+, 0.5 mM ATP, 1.5 U/μL hexokinase].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Delayed development of basal spikelets in wheat explains their increased floret abortion and rudimentary nature

Backhaus

Griffiths

Cruces

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) breeding efforts have increased grain yield predominantly by raising grain numbers per spikelet, rather than grain weight or spikelet number. However, across a single spike large differences exist in the number of grains per spikelet. The central spikelets produce the highest number of grains in any given genotype while apical and basal spikelets are less productive. Basal spikelets are delayed in development just after initiation and are smaller and less advanced than central spikelets already by the glume primordium stage. However, basal spikelets continue to develop and produce florets until much later in the wheat growth cycle. The precise timings or the cause of their growth cessation, and subsequent abortion, is largely unknown. In this study we investigated the underlying causes of rudimentary basal spikelet abortion. We investigated basal spikelet development in four UK winter wheat varieties as well as a set of near-isogenic lines for VRT-A2 (VEGETATIVE TO REPRODUCTIVE TRANSITION 2) using shading applications in the field. We propose that basal spikelet abortion is likely the consequence of complete floret abortion as both occur at the same time and have the same response to shading treatments. Furthermore, we found that the developmental age of florets pre-abortion is an important factor for their likelihood to survive and develop viable seed. Previously, it had been proposed that reduced assimilate availability in the base of the spike leads to increased abortion. Re-analysis of published data alongside data presented here, however, does not support this model. We found that rather than assimilate availability, it is the reduced developmental age of basal florets before abortion that correlates with increased abortion. Using the floret Waddington developmental stage pre-abortion, we were able to predict final grain set per spikelet across the spike, alongside the characteristic gradient in number of grains from basal to central spikelets. We found that advancing past Waddington stage 5.5 seems to be important for floret survival and that most florets in basal spikelets had not reached this stage at the onset of floret abortion. The abortion of all florets could therefore be the reason for their rudimentary appearance in the mature spike, suggesting that basal spikelet abortion is simply the consequence of all florets inside the spikelet being aborted and thus all other spikelet structures (e.g., lemma, rachilla, glume) also ceasing to develop. Future efforts to improve spikelet homogeneity across the spike could thus focus on improving basal spikelet establishment and increasing floret development rates pre-abortion.

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“…Lines with erectophile leaves had a 13% higher yield. Griffiths et al ( 2020 ) showed that effects of drought pre- or post-anthesis affect grain yield parameters differently. Yield is strongly related to grain number when drought is pre-anthesis but has a stronger element of grain size as a yield determinant when drought is applied at anthesis.…”

Section: The Crucial Consideration Of Source-sink Interaction To Improve Photosynthesismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Environments with intermittent drought need to ideally include germplasm with elements of tolerance to both pre- and post-anthesis drought that also have good yield potential. There were only three such lines out of 150 that fulfilled this requirement (Griffiths et al, 2020 ). It is proposed that genes that enable high yields in all three conditions may be genes that coordinate source and sink.…”

Section: The Crucial Consideration Of Source-sink Interaction To Improve Photosynthesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving Photosynthetic Metabolism for Crop Yields: What Is Going to Work?

Paul

2021

Front. Plant Sci.

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Combining yield potential and drought resilience in a spring wheat diversity panel

Cited by 11 publications

References 49 publications

Effects of high temperature during anthesis and grain filling on physiological characteristics of winter wheat cultivars

Effects of high temperature during anthesis and grain filling on physiological characteristics of winter wheat cultivars

Delayed development of basal spikelets in wheat explains their increased floret abortion and rudimentary nature

Improving Photosynthetic Metabolism for Crop Yields: What Is Going to Work?

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