Abstract
Competition from weeds often reduces wheat yields, especially in organic management systems or when herbicide-resistant weeds are present. Breeding wheat for increased competitive ability is an important aspect of integrated weed control. Selecting directly for weed-competitive ability (WCA), however, is challenged by difficult field measurements, genotype by environment interactions, and low heritability. To improve selection efficiency, breeding programs can utilize secondary selection traits that are easier to measure, have higher heritability and are highly correlated with WCA. To identify potential secondary selection traits for WCA, we conducted a meta-analysis of the published literature, and contributed new data from the northeastern United States. Among studies worldwide, early vigor was easy to measure and consistently correlated with WCA. Early plant height also showed promise as a correlated secondary selection trait for WCA, and had high heritability. Tillering, maturity timing, and growth habit were inconsistently correlated with WCA among environments and weed species studied. WCA and the correlated trait of early vigor were influenced by genotype by environment interactions. As a result, decentralized breeding would maximize gain from selection for WCA.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Tom Molloy and Erica Cummings for data collection, and Profs. Matt Ryan and Jean-Luc Jannink for valuable feedback on the manuscript and experimental design. Funding was provided by United States Department of Agriculture, Organic Research and Extension Grant 2011-51300-30697; United States Department of Agriculture, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Grants LNE12-318; Hatch Project 149-430, 149-449; and by United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Grants 2009-65300-05661 and 2011-68002-30029.
Funding
Funding was provided by United States Department of Agriculture, Organic Research and Extension Grant 2011-51300-30697; United States Department of Agriculture, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Grant LNE12-318; Hatch Project 149-430, 149-449; and by United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Grants 2009-65300-05661 and 2011-68002-30029.
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The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.
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Kissing Kucek, L., Mallory, E.B., Darby, H.M. et al. Breeding wheat for weed-competitive ability: I. Correlated traits. Euphytica 217, 202 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-021-02930-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-021-02930-9
Keywords
- Wheat
- Weed competition
- Indirect selection
- Trait correlations