Abstract only

Strategic trait-based crossing has combined complementary physiological traits in a new generation of progeny that when compared to conventionally bred advanced lines show superior expression of yield. High yielding advanced lines have been identified in several environments in North Africa, Western and South Asia, as well as in Mexico. Traits associated with yield in these environments will be presented and advanced lines showing the most appropriate expression of physiological traits will be shown. An important source of drought adaptive traits has been shown previously for synthetic hexaploid derived wheat lines outperformed recurrent parents in part due to increased root mass at depth and better water extraction capacity. A group of four elite synthetic derived (SYNDER) lines and parents was grown under full irrigation and drought conditions to dissect some of the physiological features conferring tolerance to drought. SYN-DER wheat lines showed on average a 26% yield increase as compared to the parental hexaploid wheats under terminal drought. Different strategies for drought tolerance were observed including: earliness to flowering, greater root mass at depth, greater water extraction capacity and increased water use efficiency (WUE) at anthesis. Some degree of independence was identified between these traits when comparing SYN-DER lines suggesting that these traits are regulated by different genes. The elite SYN-DER ?Vorobey? was an important source of improved root mass at depth under drought. We conclude that the use of wild species of wheat has the potential to improve a range of stress-adaptive traits, and may permit modern bread wheat to become adapted to a wider range of environments including climate change scenarios.

Global Wheat Program

English

Lucia Segura

INT2835

CIMMYT Staff Publications Collection