Higher grain yield and higher grain protein deviation underline the potential of hybrid wheat for a sustainable agriculture

Grain yield and protein content are traits of major importance in wheat breeding, but their combination is challenging due to a tight negative correlation. Protein yield and grain protein deviation have been proposed as selection criteria to simultaneously improve both traits. Sedimentation volume is an indicator of protein quality, which plays an important role for bread‐making quality in wheat. All these traits have been investigated in our study with 135 parental inbred lines, their 1,604 hybrids and 10 commercial check varieties evaluated at five environments. The focus of our study was to investigate the usefulness of the grain protein deviation and to define a bivariate model for calculating the grain protein deviation. Further, we compared line and hybrid wheat for grain yield and quality‐related parameters such as protein content and sedimentation volume. The grain protein deviation determined with a bivariate model delivered robust estimates of variance components and enabled a balanced selection of genotypes with improved protein content and grain yield across different quality classes. Although heterosis for protein content and sedimentation volume was negative, hybrids had a higher grain protein deviation as well as higher grain yield at a given sedimentation volume or a given protein content than line varieties.     

Relationship among planted and harvested kernel weights and grain yield and protein percentage in winter wheat

Summary Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) kernel weight is an important yield component and seed quality factor that appears to be declining with recent cultivar releases in the major U.S. wheat region. The objectives of experiments were to detmrmine the relationship between planted and harvested 1000-kernel weights and their effect on grain yield and grain protein percentage. Twelve popular hard red winter wheat cultivars were grown with recommended practices at 10 Kansas locations for three years. Rank correlation coefficients between kernel weights and grain yields and protein percentages were calculated.Correlations of planted and harvested kernel weights over all cultivars with grain yield were inconsistent, being positive for some locations and years and negative for other locations and years. Planted kernel weights and grain yields of individual cultivars were not related, but harvested kernel weights and grain yields were correlated positively for eight of the 12 cultivars. Harvested kernel weights and grain protein percentages frequently were correlated positively at individual locations, but always were correlated negatively for individual cumtivars. It was concluded that high stable harvested wheat kernel weight is important as a component of grain yield under a range of environments and that improving this trait would benefit all segments of the wheat industry.Contribution No. 84-395-J, Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506 USA.     

江苏省小麦参试品种(系)产量与产量构成因素分析

旨在明确江苏淮南和淮北麦区小麦产量构成因素对产量影响的相对重要性,采用相关和通径分析法,对江苏省2019-2020年度预备试验101个小麦品种(系)的产量及其构成因素进行分析.结果 表明,淮南和淮北小麦品种(系)的平均产量分别为7739.1 kg/hm2和8560.3 kg/hm2.相关分析表明,淮南小麦产量构成因素与...     

Effects of the 6VS.6AL translocation on agronomic traits and dough properties of wheat

Nineteen common wheat cultivars and advanced lines carrying a 6VS.6AL translocation and five parents were sown at two locations in Jiangsu in 2004–05 season to assess the effects of the translocation on grain yield and dough properties. In general, there were no significant differences between 6VS.6AL lines and their recurrent parents in agronomic, mixograph and starch pasting traits, including grain yield, grains/spike, grain weight/spike, mixing time and peak viscosity. 6VS.6AL lines showed slightly but significantly higher thousand-kernel weight and plant height, and small negative effects on test weight, flour yield and flour colour. However, significant variation occurred for all traits among sister lines from the same cross, indicating that additional selection could lead to further improvement. It was concluded that the 6VS.6AL translocation can be used in wheat breeding programs as a donor of resistance to powdery mildew with no obvious undesirable effects on agronomic and quality traits.     

Relationship between barley grain yield measured in low- and high-yielding environments

Summary The paper addresses the general question of identifying the optimum environment for selection in plant breeding programs for low input agricultural systems. After defining low-yielding and high-yielding environments based on the average grain yield of large numbers of barley genotypes in different cropping seasons, we examined: 1) the phenotypic relationships between the highest yielding genotypes in low- and high-yielding environments, and 2) the genetic correlation coefficients between grain yield in low- and high-yielding environments. The results indicate that the alleles controlling high grain yield in low-yielding conditions are at least partially different from those controlling high grain yield in high-yielding conditions. Therefore, selection in high-yielding environments is expected to produce a negative response or no response in low-yielding environments. This may explain why crop varieties bred under high-yielding conditions failed to have an impact in low-yielding agricultural systems. The results may be extrapolated to systems where environmental concern suggests a reduction of inputs by raising the question of whether crop breeding programs based on selection under high inputs are likely to generate the right type of germplasm for an environmentally friendly agriculture.     

Comparison of phenotypic and molecular marker-based classifications of hard red winter wheat cultivars

Genetic diversity is the basis for successful crop improvement and can be estimated by different methods. The objectives of this study were to estimate the genetic diversity of 30 ancestral to modern hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars adapted to the Northern Great Plains using pedigree information, morphological traits (agronomic measurements from six environments), end-use quality traits (micro-quality assays on 50 g grain or milled flour samples for the six environments), and molecular markers (seed storage proteins separated using SDS-PAGE, 51 SSRs, and 23 SRAP DNA markers), and to determine the relationships of genetic distance estimates obtained from these methods. Relationships among diversity estimates were determined using simple (Pearson) and rank (Spearman) correlation coefficients between distance estimates and by clustering cultivars using genetic-distances for different traits. All methods found a wide range in genetic diversity. The genetic distance estimates based on pedigree had the highest values due to possible over-estimation arising from model assumptions. The genetic diversity estimates based on seed storage protein were lowest because they were the major determinants of end-use quality, which is a highly selected trait. In general, the diversity estimates from each of the methods were positively correlated at a low level with the exceptions of SRAP diversity estimates being independent of morphologic traits (simple correlation), SDS-PAGE, and SSR diversity estimates (rank correlation). However, SSR markers, thought to be among the most efficient markers for estimating genetic diversity, were most highly correlated with seed storage proteins. The procedures used to accurately estimate genetic diversity will depend largely upon the tools available to the researcher and their application to the breeding scheme.     

Increase in grain protein percentage in high-yielding common wheat breeding lines by genes from wild tetraploid wheat

Summary Forty-one breeding lines of common wheat, derived from crosses between the Israeli cultivars Miriam and Lakhish and high-protein lines of wild tetraploid wheat, Triticum turgidum var. dicoccoides, were tested for various protein and yield parameters in field trials, under typical agronomic conditions. All lines had a higher grain protein percentage (GPP) than the leading Israeli cultivar Deganit, which was grown as a control. Grain yield (GY) ranged in the breeding lines from a low of 2.44 t/ha to as high as that of Deganit (6.95 t/ha). Despite the weak negative correlation between GPP and GY, several lines excelled both in GPP and in GY. The grain protein yield (GPY) of some of these selected breeding lines was higher than that of Deganit; e.g., 1.19 t/ha in the best line vs. 1.02 t/ha in Deganit. The 16.7% increase in GPY in this line reflected a more efficient utilization of nitrogen.     

Canopy Temperature Depression Association with Yield of Irrigated Spring Wheat Cultivars in a Hot Climate

This study examines the utility of measurements of canopy temperature depression (TD) below air temperature as an indirect selection criterion for grain yield in breeding of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). TD differences can be rapidly assessed using a hand-held infra-red thermometer and may reflect differences in stomatal conductance. Replicated small plot experiments were conducted with 23–24 spring wheat cultivars planted at two dates in the winter cropping cycles of 1991–92 and 1992–93 at a hot low latitude location in Mexico.
Across a two fold range in grain yield at each planting, TD was usually highly significantly correlated with grain yield. Averaging the results for each year, the phenotypic correlation TD vs. yield was 0.84** and 0.89** for 1991–92 and 1992–93, respectively. Correlations were strongest when TD was measured between noon and 4 pm, and were unaffected by crop stage of development (pre-heading, heading, grain fill) or timing relative to irrigation. TD was positively correlated with stomatal conductance. We discuss possible causes of these high correlations, and their implications for wheat breeding.     

Agronomic and quality characteristics of spring wheat lines selected for protein content and protein yield

Summary High protein cultivars of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) from eight foreign countries and the United States were used in crosses to provide progeny for a recurrent selection program. After two cycles of selection, 40 lines selected for protein yield and 16 lines selected fro protein percentage were evaluated with parents in yield nurseries at Bozeman, Montana.Lines selected for protein pereentage had the highest protein percentages, protein yields similar to the parents, and grain yields lower than the parents. Lines selected for protein yield had protein percentages intermediate between those of the parents and lines selected for protein percentage, but they had the highest protein yields and grain yields. Protein percentage and grain yield were negatively correlated and protein yield and grain yield were positively correlated for both groups of lines. The data tend to suggest that protein yield may a better selection criterion than protein percentage for plant breeders to use in improving protein productivity, although additional testing of this hypothesis is proposed.Milling and baking data showed transgressive improvement over the mean of the patents in many important quality aspects, indicating that good quality lines can be obtained from crosses involving poor to mediocre quality cultivars.Joint contribution of ARS, USDA and the Mont. Agric. Exp. Stn. Published with approval of the Director of the Mont. Agric. Exp. Stn. as Paper No. 1181, Journal Series. Received 19 June 1981.     

Nitrogen uptake and nitrogen harvest index in durum wheat cultivars varying in their grain protein concentration

Summary In a field experiment, plant (excluding roots) and grain nitrogen at harvest were estimated in 15 durum wheat cultivars varying in their grain protein concentration. They showed significant variation in grain yield, grain protein concentration, biological yield, total plant nitrogen at harvest and residual nitrogen in straw. Harvest index and nitrogen harvest index were calculated from this primary data. Nitrogen harvest index varied from 57 to 83%. Plant nitrogen showed significant positive correlation with biological yield, grain yield and grain protein yield, but the correlations with grain protein concentration, harvest index and nitrogen harvest index were not significant. Nitrogen harvest index was positively correlated with harvest index indicating that the distribution of N between straw and grain to a large extent, but not entirely, depends upon the partitioning of dry matter between the two. Grain protein concentration was neither correlated significantly to plant nitrogen nor to nitrogen harvest index.     

Yield potential and drought tolerance of segregating populations of barley in contrasting environments

Summary Using the traditional approach (selection for grain yield) it has been found that F₃ families derived from F₂'s selected under unfavourable conditions were more vigorous in the early stages of growth, taller, earlier in heading and with larger yields than F₃ families derived from F₂'s selected under favourable conditions. A high and negative correlation coefficient was found between the drought susceptibility index and grain yield at the driest site, whereas at the wettest site the correlation coefficients were lower and in some cases positive, indicating the existence of traits which are desirable under drought and undesirable under favourable conditions, or vice versa.Expected responses to selection for grain yield using different selection criteria indicated that selection under stress conditions is expected to be more efficient than selection under favourable conditions when dry areas is the target environment.Expected responses to selection for grain yield using different selection criteria indicated that selection under stress conditions is expected to be more efficient than selection under favourable conditions when dry areas is the target environment.Part of this work was supported by Opec Fund for International Development.     

小麦不同器官碳同位素分辨率与产量的相关性研究

以20个西北地区小麦地方品种和育成品种(系)为试验材料,在宁夏地区有限灌溉条件和雨养条件下,于2006-2008年连续3年研究了各品种旗叶、籽粒、茎秆的碳同位素分辨率（△13C值）及其与产量的相关性。结果显示：有限灌溉条件下,基部茎秆的△13C与产量的正相关3年均达到了极显著水平;籽粒△13C与产量的正相关有2年达到了极显著水平,另外1年相关不显著;叶片的△13C与产量的正相关只有2008年达到了显著水平,另外2年的相关不显著。而雨养条件下叶片、籽粒和基部茎秆的△13C与产量的相关都不显著,但从不同品种的△13C和产量结果发现低△13C材料在雨养条件下具有较高的产量。因此在本研究有限灌溉条件下利用碳同位素分辨率作为小麦产量的鉴定指标,其最佳测定器官是成熟期的基部茎秆,雨养条件下的最佳测定器官有待于进一步研究确定。     

小麦收获指数与主要农艺性状的相关性探析?

小麦收获指数是指籽粒产量占地上部生物产量的百分率。研究小麦品种主要农艺性状和经济性状间与其产量的相互关系,采用相关性分析与回归方法,对影响收获指数的10个主要农艺性状及因素进行了研究分析。结果表明：供试小麦HI具有较大的改良空间;HI与穗颈长、株高、穗长、小穗数、主茎生物产量有显著负相关,与单穗质量、产量呈正相关,与生物产量没有显著相关性;主成分分析结果显示,3个主成分累积贡献率达 87.427%,表明 3 个主成分已覆盖所有性状的主要信息;通过回归分析,小麦HI与单穗籽粒产量、生物产量、千粒质量有显著回归关系。结论: 通过对10份小麦材料农艺性状的统计分析,得出如下结论。HI受单穗质量、生物产量、千粒重影响较为明显有显著回归关系,与单穗质量、产量和穗粒数有明显正效应,生物产量对其有负效应。小麦HI提高可通过选育生物产量不宜过大,而穗粒数较高、单穗重较大的小麦品种。     

The relation between grain yield and some related traits of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and their usefulness in a breeding program

Summary The objective of this study was to evaluate traits which can facilitate and improve selection for grain yield of spring barley. Five experiments were conducted in different environments to measure grain yield and yield related traits of breeding lines and exotic varieties. Differences for rate of canopy expansion were significant and offer the opportunity to select for a high weed suppressing potential but there was no relation to grain yield. Dry matter yield/m² at anthesis and its water-soluble-carbohydrate content were not correlated with grain yield/m² and number of grains/m². Variation in biomass among breeding lines with a similar development and plant height was small. Biomass standardized for plant height was stable across environments and showed a good correlation with number of grains and grain yield. The contribution of pre-anthesis assimilation to grain yield was only important under low yielding experimental conditions, but the differences among the genotypes for this trait were inconsistent. It may be difficult to select genotypes with a high potential contribution of pre-anthesis assimilation to grain yield.     

The use of grain protein deviation for identifying wheat cultivars with high grain protein concentration and yield

The relationship between grain protein concentration and grain yield in different cultivars of winter wheat was examined in a series of field experiments carried out over three years, in which 13, 12 and 8 cultivars were studied in each year, respectively. The plants were grown at sites located in Shropshire, west-central England, in years 1 and 2, and at three other locations in eastern England in year 3. Above ground plant samples were collected at an thesis and again at maturity, when they were separated into grain and straw, and analysed for dry matter and N content. Analysis of residuals from regression of grain protein concentration on grain yield (grain protein deviation, GPD) showed that some cultivars had a higher grain protein concentration than was predicted from grain yield alone. It was deduced that the capacity to accumulate a higher grain protein concentration than predicted from grain yield is under genetic control and thus may be improved through breeding. Other factors (weight of N accumulated in the biomass at anthesis, weight of N accumulated in the biomass between anthesis and maturity and the concentration of N remaining in the straw at maturity) were added step-wise into the regression to enable statistical analysis of their relative contributions to grain protein. High GPD may be achieved through increased N accumulation after anthesis, combined with efficient re-translocation of vegetative N reserves. The use of GPD provides a selection criteria in wheat breeding programs to screen for increased grain protein concentration without a concurrent grain yield reduction. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

水稻产量构成因子与稻米品质性状的关系

325000 浙江省温州市九山北路兽医桥 温州市农业站     

Combining ability and heterosis under pest epidemics in a broad-based global wheat-breeding population

Wheat breeders rarely apply population improvement schemes or select parental sources according to combining ability and heterotic patterns. They rely on pedigree selection methods for breeding new cultivars. This experiment was undertaken to assess the advantages of using diallel crosses to define combining ability and understand heterosis in a broad‐based wheat‐breeding population across different environments affected by yellow rust. Sixty‐four genotypes derived from a full diallel mating scheme were assessed for grain yield in two contrasting growing seasons at two locations for two consecutive years. Parental genotypes showed significant combining ability for grain yield that was affected by yellow rust and genotype‐by‐environment (GE) interactions, both of which affected heterosis for grain yield. Significant GE interactions suggested that decentralized selection for specific environments could maximize the use of this wheat germplasm. Cultivar effects and specific heterosis were the most important factors influencing grain yield. Some crosses capitalized on additive genetic variation for grain yield. This research shows the power of available quantitative breeding tools to help breeders choose parental sources in a population improvement programme.     

Stability of 1000-grain weight and its relation with other traits of barley in dry areas

Summary The effects of 1000-grain weight, its stability and the correlation coefficients with other traits of 50 barley varieties were studied at 18–20 environments. Additional material was used to study genotypic correlations among traits. Significant differences in stability of 1000-grain weight were found among varieties. Two-row varieties were on average more stable than 6-row varieties. The 1000-grain weight was among the most stable and grain yield the most variable traits. This was discussed in connection with stem reserves translocation to the grain. Consistently high yielding varieties had around average stability of 1000-grain weight. Regression coefficient, b, for 1000-grain weight was positively correlated with variance of log transformed data, both valid estimates for stability of 1000-grain weight. The correlation coefficient of 1000-grain weight with grain yield was positive or non-significant, with number of grains per tiller mainly negative and with volume weight it was positive. In 6-row barley, 1000-grain weight was positively correlated with grain yield, straw yield, total biological yield, and plant height, and negatively with number of tillers per m² and number of grains per tiller.     

Estimation of quantitative genetic parameters for grain yield and quality in winter wheat under high and low nitrogen fertilization

The main question connected with developing wheat cultivars adapted to low nitrogen (N) is whether separate breeding programs for low and high input conditions are necessary. Nineteen wheat cultivars were grown over three years in Croatia in a total of eight environments at high N and low N in order to determine the effect of two N levels on means, variances and heritability of grain yield and bread-making quality and to assess the relative efficiency of indirect selection under high N in improving trait means under low N. Means of grain yield and grain protein content decreased under low N 10 and 13 %, respectively compared to the high N, whereas higher reductions of means due to lower fertilization were observed for grain N yield (21 %), wet gluten content (20 %), Zeleny sedimentation value (27 %) and for most rheological parameters, whose mean values were reduced from 20 % to as much as 57 %. Heritabilities for grain yield and grain N yield at high N were 0.82 and 0.76, respectively, and 0.77 and 0.43 at low N. Heritability for dough development time, stability and resistance also tended to be higher at high N than at low N due to a decrease in genetic variance and an increase in error variance at low N. The genetic correlation coefficients between high and low N were higher than 0.90 and the efficiency of indirect selection under high N for performance under low N was near 1.0 for grain yield and for most bread-making quality traits.     

Genetic improvement of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Argentina: relationships between nitrogen and dry matter

Summary Changes in nitrogen (N) economy and N to dry matter (DM) relationships were studied for six cultivars of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) released in Argentina at different times between 1912 and 1980. Experiments were performed on two successive years.N partitioning to reproductive organs was changed both at anthesis and at maturity. Grain N yield (GNY) was associated to both total N accumulated and N partitioning. Most of the changes produced by genetic improvement on N economy at maturity could be explained by parallel changes at anthesis. Neither biological N yield (BNY) at anthesis nor BNY at maturity showed any trend with the year of release of the cultivars.Grain N concentration (GNC) showed a negative trend with the year of release, and was inversely correlated to both grain yield (GY) and harvest index (HI). However, GNC was positively and significantly associated with NHI to HI ratio, indicating that the main reason for its behaviour along this century was the dilution of N on non N compounds.The N utilization efficiencies (NUE) for both GY and grain number were positively affected by breeding. Moreover, modern Argentinian cultivars are as efficient as the best cultivars showed by other authors.It is suggested that to increase GNC together with GY, breeders should improve N accumulation at anthesis maintaining high remobilization of vegetative N.