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Drought and heat stress reduce yield and alter carbon rhizodeposition of different wheat genotypes
Author(s) -
Bakhshandeh Shiva,
Corneo Paola E.,
Yin Liming,
Dijkstra Feike A.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of agronomy and crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.095
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-037X
pISSN - 0931-2250
DOI - 10.1111/jac.12314
Subject(s) - agronomy , biomass (ecology) , shoot , water content , yield (engineering) , biology , moisture , water use efficiency , irrigation , chemistry , materials science , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , metallurgy , engineering
Drought and high temperature are major environmental stress factors threatening wheat production during grain filling stage resulting in substantial yield losses. Four wheat genotypes (Suntop, IAW 2013, Scout and 249) were planted under two temperature levels (25 and 30°C) and two water levels (15% and 25% soil moisture content). Wheat yield, leaf δ 13 C, plant rhizodeposition, shoot biomass and root traits were examined. Low moisture (drought stress) and high temperature (heat stress) decreased the grain yield of all wheat genotypes, in particular 249, while combined drought and temperature stresses had the most pronounced negative effect on plant biomass and grain yield. Decreasing soil water availability decreased the allocation of plant‐derived C to soil organic carbon ( SOC ) and to microbial biomass through rhizodeposition. Leaf δ 13 C decreased with increased yield, suggesting that higher yielding genotypes were less water stressed and allocated less C to SOC and microbial biomass through rhizodeposition. Wheat genotypes with lower root/shoot ratios and thinner roots were more efficient at assimilating C to the grain, while genotypes with higher root/shoot ratios and thicker roots allocated more C belowground through rhizodeposition at the expense of producing higher yield. Therefore, improving these traits for enhanced C allocation to wheat grain under variable environmental conditions needs to be considered.