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ARS Home » Plains Area » Manhattan, Kansas » Center for Grain and Animal Health Research » Hard Winter Wheat Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #336602
Title: Genetic variation for tolerance to terminal heat stress in Dasypyrum villosum

Author
item FU, JIANMING - Kansas State University
item Bowden, Robert
item JAGADISH, KRISHNA - Kansas State University
item GILL, BIKRAM - Kansas State University

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/29/2017
Publication Date: 8/17/2017
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/5863786
Citation: Fu, J., Bowden, R.L., Jagadish, K., Gill, B. 2017. Genetic variation for tolerance to terminal heat stress in Dasypyrum villosum. Crop Science. 57:1–7. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2016.12.0978.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2016.12.0978

Interpretive Summary: Across wheat growing regions in the US and globally, wheat often experiences terminal heat stress during the post-flowering period that reduces both yield and grain quality. Dasypyrum villosum, a wild relative of wheat, has been a useful genetic resource for the improvement of several traits in wheat. We found that D. villosum is more heat-tolerant than common wheat and that the single kernel weight was the yield component responsible for the tolerance. Two accessions originating in Italy and one from Turkey showed the highest terminal heat tolerance. This work suggests that D. villosum may be a useful novel resource for the improvement of heat tolerance in common wheat.

Technical Abstract: Heat stress substantially reduces the grain yield and quality of wheat and poses a major challenge to sustain productivity due to global warming. Across wheat growing regions in the US and globally, wheat often experiences terminal heat stress during the post-flowering period. Dasypyrum villosum, a wild relative of wheat, has been a useful genetic resource for the improvement of several traits in wheat. Here we report a first survey of terminal heat tolerance in D. villosum. Twenty accessions of D. villosum from seven countries, and three common wheat cultivars (checks) were compared. Agronomic traits including single kernel weight, total grain weight, grain number and shoot weight were evaluated in both non-stress (22°C day/17°C night) and heat stress (36°C day/30°C night) conditions in two independent experiments. The results showed that there was significant genetic variation for heat tolerance in D. villosum and that single kernel weight was less affected by heat stress in D. villosum than in common wheat. Three accessions, TA10228 and TA10225 originating in Italy and TA2172 in Turkey, showed the highest terminal heat tolerance. This work suggests that D. villosum may be a useful novel resource for the improvement of heat tolerance in common wheat.