Relationship between yield, carbon isotope discrimination and stem carbohydrate concentration in spring wheat grown in Ningxia Irrigation Region (North-west China)
Lin Zhu A B C E , Shu Hua Li C , Zong Suo Liang B , Zhan Feng Zhang D and Xing Xu A C EA Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in North-western China, Ministry of Education, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, People’s Republic of China.
B College of Life Sciences, Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University, Yangling 712100, People’s Republic of China.
C Ningxia Key Lab of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ningxia Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan 75002, People’s Republic of China.
D Huxian Central Tree Nursery, Xian 710307, People’s Republic of China.
E Corresponding authors. Email: xuxingscience@126.com (Xing Xu); zhulinscience@126.com (Lin Zhu)
Crop and Pasture Science 61(9) 731-742 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP10002
Submitted: 3 January 2010 Accepted: 9 July 2010 Published: 9 September 2010
Abstract
Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) in flag leaf, grain and basal stem, grain yield (GY), and harvest index (HI), were determined in a collection of 20 bread wheat cultivars (landraces, released cultivars and advanced lines) in Yinchuan, located in the central region of the Ningxia region (North-west of China), in 2007 and 2008. In 2008, specific stem DW (SSDW) and carbohydrates, including water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC), non-water-soluble carbohydrates (NWSC) and total non-structural carbohydrate (TNSC) in stem were also measured. Relationships between GY, HI, SSDW, accumulation and mobilisation of stem carbohydrates and Δ were analysed. There were positive and significant correlations between grain Δ, basal stem Δ and GY in 2007 and 2008. A significant and positive correlation between Δ and HI was found. In 2008, positive correlations were recorded between stem WSC concentration, SSDW sampled 7 days after anthesis and Δ. Carbon isotope discrimination was associated positively with remobilisation efficiency of stem WSC and TNSC. While negative relationships were noted between Δ and SSDW at maturity, stronger association was noted between Δ, carbohydrate concentration, accumulation and mobilisation efficiencies on stem length basis than on stem DW basis. In conclusion, there is a good relationship between Δ and carbohydrate in stem of wheat when irrigation does not meet the crop’s water requirement and wheat experiences a slight water stress after anthesis.
Additional keywords: carbon isotope discrimination, grain yield, harvest index, specific stem DW, water-soluble carbohydrate, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).
Acknowledgments
This study has been realised in the frame of the FAO/IAEA Coordinated Research Project on ‘Selection for greater agronomic water use efficiency in wheat and rice using carbon isotope discrimination’. The authors thank International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria (Research Contract No. 12651/R1), and Ningxia University Natural Science Fund [(E)ndzr09–10] for financial support.
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