Phosphorus use efficiency in tall, semi-dwarf and dwarf near-isogenic lines of spring wheat

The impact of the Rht dwarfing genes on P utilization efficiency (PUTE = grain dry matter per kg P in above-ground biomass), total P uptake (Pt) and related traits was studied in the varietal backgrounds of two tall wheat cultivars, Maringa and Nainari 60. Four sets of near-isogenic lines carrying different combinations of the alleles Rht-B1b, Rht-D1b and Rht-B1c for gibberellin-insensitive dwarfism in the hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were compared with tall controls in two field trials under conditions of adequate nutrient supply and irrigation in Northwest Mexico. The yield-increasing effect of the dwarfing genes Rht-D1b and Rht-B1b led to improved PUTE in Maringa and total P uptake in both cultivars. Also, the double dwarf line of Maringa had larger grain yields and P uptake compared to the tall control. The Rht-B1c genotypes showed low PUTE, thick roots and high P concentration in vegetative biomass indicating a surplus of assimilates and P, which could not be translocated into the grains. A similar problem could be observed in Nainari 60 with Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b, which produced the largest grain dry matter with the lowest P concentrations in grains although they showed high P accumulation in straw. Most of the net P uptake occurred before anthesis. P absorption after anthesis was more critical for the dwarf genotypes. For double dwarfs and Rht-B1c, respectively, only 3% and 21% of the total accumulated P at maturity was absorbed at post-anthesis. The grain P of the dwarf lines came more from P accumulated at pre-anthesis and translocated from the vegetative biomass into the grain. The pre-anthesis P accumulation was positively correlated with spikes per m² (r = 0.91), whereas post-anthesis P accumulation correlated better with grains per spike(r = 0.72), and thousand kernel weight (r = 0.51). P uptake efficiency played a secondary role under these non-P-limiting conditions, and differences in root length density were only slightly affected by Rht-genes. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.