Summary
A composite convergent cross of 16 spring wheat parents produced a set of unselected progeny lines among which the major dwarfing genes, Rht1, Rht2 and Rht3, were distributed against a common random genetic background. Random subsets of these lines were grown under irrigation and optimal conditions in 4 experiments with replicated bordered plots in southern New South Wales in order to measure the dwarfing gene effect on yield potential. The dwarfing gene composition of each line was determined by test crossing and seedling responsiveness to gibberellic acid.
Lodging was negligible in the two experiments in 1982. While present in the two in 1983, it was not strongly associated with yield. Grain yield levels were appropriately high (mean 5.9 t/ha). In all but 1 experiment the Rht1+Rht2 dwarf genotypes gave highest yields while the Rht3 group yielded on average 3% lower, Rht2 9% lower, Rht1 11% lower, and the non-dwarf or tall group yielded 24% lower. These yield differences were positively associated with harvest index, kernels per m2 and kernels per spike, but negatively associated with mature plant height. Even within major dwarfing gene classes, grain yield was significantly and negatively associated with height.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allan, R.E., 1986. Agronomic comparisons among wheat lines nearly isogenic for three reduced-height genes. Crop Science 26: 707–710.
Fischer, R.A., 1979. Are your results confounded by intergenotypic competition? In: Proceedings of Vth International Wheat Genetics Symposium Vol. 2, New Delhi: 767–777.
Fischer, R.A. & M., Stapper, 1987. Lodging effects on high yielding crops of irrigated semidwarf wheat. Field Crops Research 17: 245–258.
Fischer, R.A. & Y.M., Stockman, 1986. Increased kernel number in Norin 10-derived dwarf wheat: evaluation of the cause. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology, 13: 767–784.
Fischer, R.A., F., Bidinger, J.R., Syme & P.C., Wall, 1981. Leaf photosynthesis, crop growth, and yield of short spring wheat genetypes under irrigation. Crop Science 21: 367–373.
Gale, M.D. & G.A. Marshall, 1979. A classification of the dwarfing genes from Norin 10 and Tom Thumb in hexaploid wheat varieties. In: Proceedings of Vth International Wheat Genetics Symposium Vol. 2, New Delhi: 995–1002.
Gale, M.D. & S. Youssefian, 1985. Dwarfing genes in wheat. In: Plant Breeding Progress Reviews Vol. 1, 1–35.
Jain, M.K. & V.P., Kulshrestha, 1976. Dwarfing genes and breeding for yield in bread wheat. Zeitschrift für Pflanzenzüchtung, 76: 102–112.
Kempton, R.A., R.S., Gregory, W.G., Hughes & P.J., Stoehr, 1986. The effect of interplot competition on yield assessment in triticale trials. Euphytica, 35: 257–265.
Knott, D.R., 1986. Effect of genes for photoperiodism, semidwarfism, and awns on agronomic characters in a wheat cross. Crop Science 26: 1158–1162.
Law, C.N., J.W., Snape & A.J., Worland, 1978. The genetical relationship between hieght and yield in wheat. Heredity 40: 133–151.
McNeal, F.H. & M.A., Berg, 1978. Registration of 11 germplasm lines of Rescue hard red spring wheat. Crop Sci. 18: 532.
O'Brien, L., & A.T., Pugsley, 1981. F3 yield response to F2 selection for gibberellic acid insensitivity in eight wheat crosses. Crop Science 21: 217–219.
Pinthus, M.J. & A.A., Levy, 1983. The relationship between Rht1 and Rht2 dwarfing genes and grain weight in Triticum aestivum spring wheat. Theor. Appl. Genet. 66: 153–157.
Quail, K.J., R.A. Fischer & J.T. Wood, 1989. Early generation selection in wheat. I. Yield potential. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research (in press).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fischer, R.A., Quail, K.J. The effect of major dwarfing genes on yield potential in spring wheats. Euphytica 46, 51–56 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00057618
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00057618