Transpiration response of two bread wheat lines differing in drought resilience and their backcross parent under dry-down conditions

Abstract

Improving wheat productivity in drylands largely depends on how plants manage limited water resources. Using fraction of transpirable soil water threshold (FTSW_Th) and drought stress response function, we characterized the water conservation traits of two wheat multiple synthetic derivative lines (MSD53 and MSD345) which both contain introgressed segments from Aegilops tauschii but differ in drought resilience. The lines and their backcross parent, 'Norin 61', were subjected to dry-down conditions. MSD53 had a higher FTSW_Th for transpiration decrease than 'Norin 61' and MSD345. In terms of drought stress response function, MSD53 had the lowest threshold suction, suggesting a lower drought resilience capacity compared with MSD345. However, MSD53 exhibited an effective-water-use trait whereas MSD345 exhibited a water-saving trait under dry-down conditions. These results are consistent with the reported higher yield of MSD53 in comparison with MSD345 under drought stress in Sudan, and demonstrate that high FTSW_Th supports effective water use for improved agricultural productivity in drylands. The differences in water conservation traits between the two MSD lines may be attributed to variation in introgressed segments, which can be further explored for drought resilience breeding.

Keywords: Aegilops tauschii; drought; effective water use; genetic variability; transpiration.

Fig. 1.

Water retention curve for Kanto loam soil.

Fig. 2.

Experimental setup showing plants under different water regimes (A) well-watered plants, (B) drought-stressed plants. Photos were taken at 16 days after the beginning of the dry-down treatment.

Fig. 3.

Time-course change in transpiration ratio (TR) for two wheat multiple synthetic derivative lines and their backcross parent, ‘Norin 61’ under dry-down conditions.

Fig. 4.

Normalized transpiration ratio (NTR) plotted against fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW) for two wheat multiple synthetic derivative lines and their backcross parent, ‘Norin 61’ under dry-down conditions. S1_NTR, slope 1; FTSW_Th, FTSW threshold for decrease in transpiration.

Fig. 5.

Stress response function of two wheat multiple synthetic derivative lines and their backcross parent, ‘Norin 61’, under dry-down conditions. Solid lines are curves fitted with equation 5; dashed lines are linear regressions within 4000 cm.