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Breeding effects on dry matter accumulation and partitioning in Spanish bread wheat during the 20th century

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Abstract

Increasing biomass accumulation is becoming a major objective of most bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) breeding programs worldwide. This study addresses the changes caused by breeding in the pattern of wheat growth and its relationship with the presence of Rht dwarfing alleles. A historical series of 16 varieties representative of the most widely grown during the twentieth century in Spain, including landraces (grown before 1940’s), initial (1947–1955) and modern (1972–2001) cultivars, was characterized for Rht8c, Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b dwarfing alleles. Changes in biomass accumulation and partitioning, leaf area index (LAI) and leaf area duration (LAD) were studied in four field experiments conducted in NE Spain. Biomass and LAI at the beginning of jointing were reduced by ca. 20 and 40 % in varieties carrying one or two dwarfing alleles, respectively. The rates of biomass accumulation from the beginning of jointing to anthesis were similar for wheats from the three historical periods (ca. 1.70 g m−2 GDD−1), and amongst varieties carrying a different number of dwarfing alleles. Almost 80 % of absolute yield gains during the last century were due to increases in the spikes weight per unit area from milk-grain to maturity. Initial varieties maintained and modern varieties increased above-ground biomass from milk-grain stage to maturity. The contribution of photosynthesis during this last phase was enhanced in modern varieties due to increases in LAI at milk-grain stage (0.83 % y−1) and of LAD from it to maturity (0.79 % y−1). Changes on the pattern of biomass accumulation and partitioning caused by the introduction of improved varieties were related to the number of dwarfing alleles present. The contribution of photosynthesis to grain filling was increased in modern varieties due to improved LAI values at milk-grain stage and, subsequently, a longer LAD.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by the Spanish National Institute for Agriculture and Food Research and Technology (INIA) [RTA2004-058-C04 and RTA2009-061-C03] and Spain’s Inter-ministerial Commission for Science and Technology (CICYT) [AGL-2009-11187]. The Centre UdL-IRTA is part of the Centre CONSOLIDER INGENIO 2010 on Agrigenomics funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. M. Sanchez-Garcia was a recipient of a PhD grant from INIA.

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  1. Miguel Sanchez-Garcia

    Present address: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Rabat Instituts, PO Box 6299, 10112, Rabat, Morocco

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Field Crops Section, Institute for Food and Agricultural Research and Technology (IRTA), Av. Rovira Roure, 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain

    Miguel Sanchez-Garcia, Fanny Álvaro, Ariadna Peremarti, Juan A. Martín-Sánchez & Conxita Royo

  2. CSIRO Division of Plant Industry, PO Box 1600, Canberra, Act, 2601, Australia

    Ben Trevaskis

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  1. Miguel Sanchez-Garcia
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  5. Juan A. Martín-Sánchez
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Correspondence to Miguel Sanchez-Garcia.

Appendix

Appendix

∆SW65–75: spike dry weight gain per m2 between growth stages 65 and 75 (anthesis and milk-grain stage); ∆SW75–87: spike dry weight gain per m2 between growth stages 75 and 87 (milk-grain and physiological maturity); BP: breeding period; CDW: crop dry weight; GDD: growing degree days; GDD75: thermal time from sowing to milk-grain; GDD87: thermal time from sowing to physiological maturity; GDD75–87: thermal time from milk-grain to physiological maturity; GS: growth stage; LAI65: leaf area index at anthesis; LAI75: leaf area index at milk-grain; LAD65–87: leaf area duration from anthesisto physiological maturity; LAD75–87: leaf area duration between milk-grain stage and physiological maturity; Rht DA: Rht dwarfing alleles; SW65: spike dry weight per unit area at growth stage 65 (anthesis); VDW65: vegetative biomass dry weight per unit area at anthesis.

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Sanchez-Garcia, M., Álvaro, F., Peremarti, A. et al. Breeding effects on dry matter accumulation and partitioning in Spanish bread wheat during the 20th century. Euphytica 203, 321–336 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-014-1268-0

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