Influence of High Shoot and Root-Zone Temperatures on Growth of Three Wheat Genotypes during Early Vegetative Stages

High temperatures, whether of shoot or root, are reported to affect shoot and root growth of various plant species. The scanty information available on the differential response of wheat genotypes to high shoot and root‐zone temperatures triggered this investigation to study the response and adaptation of shoot and root growth of three wheat genotypes to high shoot and root‐zone temperatures during early growth stages. Three wheat genotypes; Fang (heat tolerant), Siete Cerros (heat sensitive) and Imam (recent cultivar adapted to a hot irrigated environment) were grown in soil and hydroponically. Three shoot/root‐zone temperatures (23/23, 23/35 and 35/35 °C for the soil experiment and 22/22, 22/38 and 38/38 °C for the hydroponic experiment) were applied at three‐leaf growth stage. High root‐zone temperature alone or combined with high shoot temperature reduced xylem sap flow rate, root dry weight, root length and root/shoot ratio. Unexpectedly, shoot fresh and dry weights and relative growth rate (RGR) were not significantly affected by the high root‐zone temperature except for the susceptible genotype, Siete Cerros, after prolonged exposure in the hydroponic experiment. In contrast, high shoot/root‐zone temperature significantly reduced shoot fresh and dry weights from as early as the first week of the hydroponic experiment. The 38/38 °C treatment also caused significant reduction in RGR and net assimilation rate during the first 2 weeks, but no significant differences were found during the last 2 weeks compared with 22/22 °C. Interesting responses were observed among genotypes in terms of shoot and root dry weights and root/shoot ratio at 38/38 °C treatment. The heat‐sensitive Siete Cerros showed the least reduction in these traits during the first 2 weeks while the heat‐tolerant Fang and Imam responded by greatly reducing their shoot and root weights. The situation was almost reversed with the duration of treatments such that Siete Cerros became the most affected genotype while Fang and Imam were better adapted to high shoot/root‐zone temperature. Specific root weight was the exceptional trait that increased under high temperature treatments. Results indicate that despite the reduction in root length and weight observed under high root‐zone temperature, shoot growth was not much affected suggesting that the use of suitable cultivar coupled with proper management could alleviate most of high root‐zone temperature effects during early growth stages.