Consequences of breeding on biomass, radiation interception and radiation-use efficiency in wheat
Field experiments were conducted during 1991 and 1992 to identify the effect of wheat breeding on crop biomass production and its physiological determinants, i.e. radiation interception and radiation-use efficiency. To address this objective, biomass accumulation and its physiological attributes of...
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| Published in: | Field crops research Vol. 52; no. 3; pp. 271 - 281 |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier B.V
01-06-1997
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Field experiments were conducted during 1991 and 1992 to identify the effect of wheat breeding on crop biomass production and its physiological determinants, i.e. radiation interception and radiation-use efficiency. To address this objective, biomass accumulation and its physiological attributes of seven cultivars (including a commercial hybrid) released between 1920 and 1990 were compared in fertilised and irrigated plots. Weeds, pests, diseases and lodging were controlled or prevented. Crop radiation interception was calculated from measurements of incident and transmitted radiation at different times after sowing. Above-ground dry matter was determined at particular stages of development of the cultivars. Radiation-use efficiencies and crop growth rates were calculated for each cultivar for pre-anthesis (in both years) and post-anthesis (in 1992) periods.
Biomass at anthesis tended to be less in most recently released cultivars than in older materials. Accumulated intercepted radiation at similar developmental stages also differed between cultivars. These differences, as well as the trend of biomass at anthesis, were caused by differences in the length of developmental phases between cultivars rather than by changes in the architecture of the canopies. The most recently released cultivars had shorter seedling emergence-anthesis periods than older cultivars. Moreover, all cultivars had similar canopy light extinction coefficients (
k), pre-anthesis radiation-use efficiencies, and crop growth rates.
After anthesis, the two oldest cultivars accumulated the least biomass and their radiation-use efficiencies and crop growth rates were smaller than those of modern cultivars. Remarkably, modern cultivars maintained during post-anthesis almost the same levels of crop growth rates and radiation use efficiencies reached during the pre-anthesis period. |
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| ISSN: | 0378-4290 1872-6852 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/S0378-4290(96)03465-X |