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Genetic variation for aerenchyma and other root anatomical traits in durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.)

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Abstract

Variation in root anatomical traits influences whole plant physiology and crop adaptation to adverse soil conditions and thus impacts yield and its stability. A typical component of anatomical root traits is the arrangement of cells and tissues as observed by microscopy sections. In this study, we investigated the phenotypic variation of 11 root anatomical traits including aerenchyma-like features in ten elite durum wheat cultivars and found significant differences among cultivars for several traits. Trait heritability ranged from 0.12 (number of xylem vessels) to 0.72 (number of aerenchyma-like lacunae). While area and number of aerenchyma-like lacunae were highly correlated, neither trait correlated with other root features, suggesting an independent physiological and/or genetic control in respect to the other root anatomical traits. The old Italian founder cultivar Cappelli was shown to have a significantly higher portion of root aerenchyma-like structures of all the modern cultivars. These results show for the first time the presence of sizeable genetic variation in root anatomical traits in cultivated tetraploid wheats, prompting for additional studies aimed at mapping the quantitative trait loci governing such variation and to test their role in the adaptive response of durum wheat to abiotic stresses as related to soil conditions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Simona Corneti, Sandra Stefanelli and Stefano Vecchi for technical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Sciences (DipSA), University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127, Bologna, Italy

    Ghasemali Nazemi, Fabio Valli, Lucia Ferroni, Maria Speranza, Marco Maccaferri, Roberto Tuberosa & Silvio Salvi

  2. Department of Agriculture, Haji Abad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Haji Abad, Iran

    Ghasemali Nazemi

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  1. Ghasemali Nazemi
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  2. Fabio Valli
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  3. Lucia Ferroni
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  4. Maria Speranza
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  5. Marco Maccaferri
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  6. Roberto Tuberosa
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  7. Silvio Salvi
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Correspondence to Silvio Salvi.

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Nazemi, G., Valli, F., Ferroni, L. et al. Genetic variation for aerenchyma and other root anatomical traits in durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.). Genet Resour Crop Evol 63, 771–779 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-015-0279-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-015-0279-6

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