Relationship between relative water content during reproductive development and winter wheat grain yield

Summary Water is often the most limiting factor to winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production in the southern Great Plains of the U.S.A., yet the lack of reliable screening criteria has precluded direct selection for drought resistance in breeding programs. Previous work showed that leaf relative water content (RWC) was highly heritable when measured under field-drought conditions, but its adoption as a screening tool for yield improvement requires further investigation of the genetic relationship between grain yield and RWC. Plants representing high and low yield potential under drought stress, and a random group of plants, were selected from an F₂ population having the pedigree, TAM W-101/Sturdy. Two sets of entries, each comprised of the two parents and 24 F₂-derived lines, were evaluated under a rainshelter in the F₃ (1986) and F₄ (1987) generations to determine differences in leaf RWC during reproductive development. One set of entries did not receive any water after the jointing stage, and the other set was grown under well-watered conditions. A positive relationship was observed between grain yield and RWC measured during anthesis and mid-grain fill, as the high-yield selections maintained a significantly higher RWC than the low-yield selections. Grain yield and RWC were also positively associated among random selections segregating for both traits. Subsequent adjustment of genotype means for differences in reproductive development at time of sampling underscored the need to consider differences in maturity when RWC is the selection criterion.