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14 pages, 1959 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multivariate Adaptability of Tropical Wheat Cultivars to Drought and Salinity Stresses

by Alan Mario Zuffo, Jorge González Aguilera, Francisco Charles dos Santos Silva, Ricardo Mezzomo, Leandra Matos Barrozo, Fábio Steiner, Bruno Rodrigues de Oliveira, César Augusto Masgo Soto, Carlos Genaro Morales-Aranibar, Nataniel Linares-Gutiérrez and Luis Morales-Aranibar

Plants 2025, 14(7), 1021; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14071021 - 25 Mar 2025

Viewed by 326

Abstract

Wheat production in the Brazilian Cerrado region faces challenges related to drought and salinity, which limit plant development and crop yield. This study evaluated the multivariate adaptability of 11 tropical wheat cultivars to drought and salinity stresses during early plant development. Wheat plants [...] Read more.

Wheat production in the Brazilian Cerrado region faces challenges related to drought and salinity, which limit plant development and crop yield. This study evaluated the multivariate adaptability of 11 tropical wheat cultivars to drought and salinity stresses during early plant development. Wheat plants were grown for 12 days at 25 °C under non-stressful (control) and simulated drought and salinity stress conditions with –0.30 MPa iso-osmotic solutions prepared with polyethylene glycol or sodium chloride, respectively. The germination, growth rate and dry matter accumulation of the plants were measured. The results showed that wheat cultivars have distinct morphological responses to stressful environmental conditions, with drought stress having a greater impact on shoot growth and saline stress having a greater impact on root system development. The multivariate adaptability and stability analyses performed using the Lin and Binns method and GGE biplot revealed that the wheat cultivars BIO 190057, BRS 404 and TBIO Duque combine adaptability and stability for all morphological traits simultaneously, being considered cultivars tolerant to drought and salinity stresses. It was concluded that the identification of cultivars tolerant and adapted to adverse environmental conditions is essential for the advancement of sustainable cultivation of tropical wheat in the Brazilian Cerrado region, contributing to global food security. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wheat Breeding for Global Climate Change)

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21 pages, 1362 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Plant Productivity and Leaf Starch During Grain Fill Is Linked to QTL Containing Flowering Locus T1 (FT1) in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

by Alanna J. Oiestad, Nancy K. Blake, Brandon J. Tillett, Sergei T. O’Sullivan, Jason P. Cook and Michael J. Giroux

Plants 2025, 14(4), 512; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14040512 - 7 Feb 2025

Viewed by 598

Abstract

Shifts in the environment due to climate change necessitate breeding efforts aimed at adapting wheat to longer, warmer growing seasons. In this study, 21 modern wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars and 29 landraces were screened for flag leaf starch levels, with the [...] Read more.

Shifts in the environment due to climate change necessitate breeding efforts aimed at adapting wheat to longer, warmer growing seasons. In this study, 21 modern wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars and 29 landraces were screened for flag leaf starch levels, with the goal of identifying a genetic marker for targeted breeding. The landrace PI 61693 was identified as having exceptionally high flag leaf starch values. Yield trials were carried out in a Berkut × PI 61693 recombinant inbred line (RIL) population and a negative correlation was observed between leaf starch, flowering time, and yield. Genetic mapping identified a Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) explaining 22–34% variation for leaf starch, flowering time, biomass, and seed yield. The starch synthase TraesCS7D02G117800 (wSsI-1) is located in this region, which possibly accounts for leaf starch variation in this population; also within this QTL is TraesCS7D02G111600 (FT-D1). Sequencing of FT-D1 identified a single base pair deletion in the 3rd exon of the Berkut allele. This indel has recently been shown to significantly impact flowering time and productivity, and likely led to significant variation in flowering date and yield in this population. Here, we illustrate how allelic selection of FT-D1 within breeding programs may aid in adapting wheat to changing environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wheat Breeding for Global Climate Change)

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9 pages, 4860 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimizing Visualization of Pollen Tubes in Wheat Pistils

by Kohei Mishina, Minami Morita, Sora Matsumoto and Shun Sakuma

Plants 2024, 13(24), 3600; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13243600 - 23 Dec 2024

Viewed by 855

Abstract

Successful pollination and fertilization are crucial for grain setting in cereals. Wheat is an allohexaploid autogamous species. Due to its evolutionary history, the genetic diversity of current bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars is limited. Introducing favorable alleles from related wild and [...] Read more.

Successful pollination and fertilization are crucial for grain setting in cereals. Wheat is an allohexaploid autogamous species. Due to its evolutionary history, the genetic diversity of current bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars is limited. Introducing favorable alleles from related wild and cultivated wheat species is a promising breeding strategy for resolving this issue. However, wide hybridization between bread wheat and its relatives is hampered by the presence of suppressor genes and difficulties in crossing. Optimized methods for observing pollen tubes are essential for understanding the mechanism of crossability between wheat and its relatives. Here, we improved the crossing procedure between bread wheat and rye (Secale cereale) and established an optimized protocol for visualizing pollen tube behavior. Crossing via detached spike culture significantly enhanced crossing efficiency and phenotypic stability. A combination of canonical aniline blue staining and optimized clearing and sectioning allowed us to visualize pollen tube behavior. The proportion of rye pollen tubes reaching the micropyle was lower than that for pollen tubes germinated on the stigmatic hair, explaining why the hybrid seed-setting rate was approximately 75% instead of 100%. This method sheds light on wide hybridization through deeper visualization of the insides of pistils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wheat Breeding for Global Climate Change)

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18 pages, 9416 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pre-Harvest Sprouting Resistance in Bread Wheat: A Speed Breeding Approach to Assess Dormancy QTL in Backcross Lines

by Burak Ayık, Tuğba Güleç, Nevzat Aydın, Aras Türkoğlu and Jan Bocianowski

Plants 2024, 13(23), 3437; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13233437 - 7 Dec 2024

Viewed by 1109

Abstract

In this study, BC1F3:4 generation plants derived from the hybrid crosses of Rio Blanco × Nevzatbey, Rio Blanco × Adana99, and Rio Blanco × line 127 were used as experimental material. These hybrids incorporated QTLs associated with pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) resistance through molecular [...] Read more.

In this study, BC1F3:4 generation plants derived from the hybrid crosses of Rio Blanco × Nevzatbey, Rio Blanco × Adana99, and Rio Blanco × line 127 were used as experimental material. These hybrids incorporated QTLs associated with pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) resistance through molecular techniques. Key agronomic traits, including plant height, spike length, the number of grains per spike, grain weight, and physiological maturity, were evaluated in both greenhouse and growth room settings under accelerated growth (speed breeding) conditions. Results indicated that plants grown in the fully controlled greenhouse conditions exhibited superior agronomic performance compared with those cultivated in the growth room. Additionally, germination tests were conducted on each hybrid cross to identify genotypes exhibiting dormancy. The analysis revealed that 11 lines from the Rio Blanco × Nevzatbey combination, eight lines from Rio Blanco × Adana99, and six lines from Rio Blanco × Line 127 had notably low germination indices. Among the three hybrid families, the Rio Blanco × Nevzatbey BC1F3:4 hybrids demonstrated the lowest germination index (0.44). Furthermore, Rio Blanco itself recorded the lowest germination index under both greenhouse (0.02) and growth room (0.24) conditions. These findings suggest that environmental conditions exert a significant influence on the expression of dormancy in these genotypes, even when dormancy genes are present. The lines developed in this research have the potential to serve as elite material in breeding programs aimed at enhancing pre-harvest sprouting resistance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wheat Breeding for Global Climate Change)

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10 pages, 3022 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cytoplasm of the Wild Species Aegilops mutica Reduces VRN1 Gene Expression in Early Growth of Cultivated Wheat: Prospects for Using Alloplasmic Lines to Breed Varieties Adapted to Global Warming

by Mina Matsumura, Yuko Watanabe, Hiroko Tada and Koji Murai

Plants 2024, 13(23), 3346; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13233346 - 28 Nov 2024

Viewed by 698

Abstract

In a warm winter due to climate warming, it is necessary to suppress early flowering of autumn-sown wheat plants. Here, we propose the use of cytoplasmic genome effects for this purpose. Alloplasmic lines, or cytoplasmic substitution lines, of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum [...] Read more.

In a warm winter due to climate warming, it is necessary to suppress early flowering of autumn-sown wheat plants. Here, we propose the use of cytoplasmic genome effects for this purpose. Alloplasmic lines, or cytoplasmic substitution lines, of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) have cytoplasm from a related wild Aegilops species through recurrent backcrossing and exhibit altered characteristics compared with the euplasmic lines from which they are derived. Thus, alloplasmic lines with Aegilops mutica cytoplasm show delayed flowering compared with lines carrying normal cytoplasm. In the wheat flowering pathway, VERNALIZATION 1 (VRN1) encodes an APETALA1/FRUITFULL-like MADS box transcription factor that plays a central role in the activation of florigen genes, which induce floral meristems in the shoot apex. Here, we compared expression of VRN1 alleles in alloplasmic and euplasmic lines after vernalization. We found that alloplasmic wheat showed a lower level of VRN1 expression after vernalization compared with euplasmic wheat. Thus, nuclear-cytoplasm interactions affect the expression levels of the nuclear VRN1 gene; these interactions might occur through the pathway termed retrograde signaling. In warm winters, autumn-sown wheat cultivars with spring habit can pass through the reproductive growth phase in very early spring, resulting in a decreased tiller/ear number and reduced yield performance. Here, we present data showing that an alloplasmic line of ‘Fukusayaka’ can avoid the decrease in tiller/ear numbers during warm winters, suggesting that this alloplasmic line may be useful for development of varieties adapted to global warming. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wheat Breeding for Global Climate Change)

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17 pages, 1572 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Screening and Evaluation of Salt-Tolerant Wheat Germplasm Based on the Main Morphological Indices at the Germination and Seedling Stages

by Yunji Xu, Xuelian Weng, Liqiu Jiang, Yu Huang, Hao Wu, Kangjun Wang, Ke Li, Xiaoqian Guo, Guanglong Zhu and Guisheng Zhou

Plants 2024, 13(22), 3201; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13223201 - 14 Nov 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1229

Abstract

The successful screening and evaluation of salt-tolerant germplasm at the germination and seedling stages is of great importance for promoting the breeding of wheat varieties with salt tolerance. In this study, 70 wheat varieties bred in different regions were evaluated for salt tolerance [...] Read more.

The successful screening and evaluation of salt-tolerant germplasm at the germination and seedling stages is of great importance for promoting the breeding of wheat varieties with salt tolerance. In this study, 70 wheat varieties bred in different regions were evaluated for salt tolerance through hydroponic exposure to different concentrations of salt. The relative water absorption, water absorption rate, dehiscence rate, germination rate, and germination index of seeds, and plant height, root length, stem diameter, and biomass of seedlings were determined at the germination and seedling stages of wheat, and the salt tolerance was identified and evaluated using multivariate statistical analysis. The germination ability and seedling growth potential of wheat germplasms decreased with the aggravation of salt stress. Based on the comprehensive salt tolerance index at the germination stage, our study identified 35 varieties to be salt-tolerant. There were nine varieties further screened for having strong salt tolerance according to the comprehensive salt tolerance index at the germination and seedling stages. SN41, Emam, YN301, and JM262 were superior in salt-tolerance, and YM39, LM30, JM60, YN999, and SD29 were salt-tolerant. Our study suggests that the biomass of seedlings can be used as a key parameter for assessing wheat germplasm’s ability to withstand salt. Our results can provide some basic materials for cultivating new germplasm with salt tolerance and excavating the related genes of wheat. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wheat Breeding for Global Climate Change)

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21 pages, 4521 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Temperature, Precipitation, and Sunshine on Cold-Tolerant Wheat Yield Under Warming Trends: A 20-Year Study in Hokkaido, Japan

by Zenta Nishio, Masatomo Kurushima, Takeshi Suzuki, Seiji Shimoda and Tomoyoshi Hirota

Plants 2024, 13(22), 3165; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13223165 - 11 Nov 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1271

Abstract

To clarify the adaptation strategies of cold-tolerant wheat against global warming, this study examined the effects of daily temperature, precipitation, and sunshine duration on wheat yield in Hokkaido, Japan, over 13 years (2011–2023). Yield components were also analyzed over 20 years (2004–2023). The [...] Read more.

To clarify the adaptation strategies of cold-tolerant wheat against global warming, this study examined the effects of daily temperature, precipitation, and sunshine duration on wheat yield in Hokkaido, Japan, over 13 years (2011–2023). Yield components were also analyzed over 20 years (2004–2023). The number of snow-cover days decreased by about 24 days over the 20-year period. As a result, the growth of overwintered wheat accelerated, with the heading and maturity of plants advancing by about 8 and 5 days, respectively, and the grain-filling period extending from about 44 to about 48 days. Multiple regression analysis was conducted using wheat yield as the objective variable and weather conditions as explanatory variables. Three weather conditions were selected: precipitation for 8 days from 27 March, sunshine hours for 8 days from 21 March, and sunshine hours for 12 days from 13 June, which yielded a coefficient of determination of 0.953. Despite the highest mean summer temperatures on record being registered in 2023, high yields were ensured by the number of sunshine hours, which were approximately 1.5 times the normally recorded hours. This highlights the importance of this parameter in mitigating the impact of high summer temperatures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wheat Breeding for Global Climate Change)

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Review

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25 pages, 869 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Genetics and Breeding of Heat Stress Tolerance in Wheat: Advances and Prospects

by Yuling Zheng, Zhenyu Cai, Zheng Wang, Tagarika Munyaradzi Maruza and Guoping Zhang

Plants 2025, 14(2), 148; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14020148 - 7 Jan 2025

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2142

Abstract

Heat stress is one of the major concerns for wheat production worldwide. Morphological parameters such as germination, leaf area, shoot, and root growth are affected by heat stress, with affected physiological parameters including photosynthesis, respiration, and water relation. Heat stress also leads to [...] Read more.

Heat stress is one of the major concerns for wheat production worldwide. Morphological parameters such as germination, leaf area, shoot, and root growth are affected by heat stress, with affected physiological parameters including photosynthesis, respiration, and water relation. Heat stress also leads to the generation of reactive oxygen species that disrupt the membrane systems of thylakoids, chloroplasts, and the plasma membrane. The deactivation of the photosystems, reduction in photosynthesis, and inactivation of Rubisco affect the production of photo-assimilates and their allocation, consequently resulting in reduced grain yield and quality. The development of thermo-tolerant wheat varieties is the most efficient and fundamental approach for coping with global warming. This review provides a comprehensive overview of various aspects related to heat stress tolerance in wheat, including damages caused by heat stress, mechanisms of heat stress tolerance, genes or QTLs regulating heat stress tolerance, and the methodologies of breeding wheat cultivars with high heat stress tolerance. Such insights are essential for developing thermo-tolerant wheat cultivars with high yield potential in response to an increasingly warmer environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wheat Breeding for Global Climate Change)

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