Comparative effect of salinity on growth, grain yield, water use efficiency, δ(13)C and δ(15)N of landraces and improved durum wheat varieties

Supplemental irrigation with low-quality water will be paramount in Mediterranean agriculture in the future, where durum wheat is a major crop. Breeding for salinity tolerance may contribute towards improving resilience to irrigation with brackish water. However, identification of appropriate phenot...

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Published in:Plant science (Limerick) 2016-10, Vol.251, p.44-53
Main Authors: Chamekh, Zoubeir, Ayadi, Sawsen, Karmous, Chahine, Trifa, Youssef, Amara, Hajer, Boudabbous, Khaoula, Yousfi, Salima, Serret, Maria Dolors, Araus, José Luis
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Carbon - metabolism
Conservation of Natural Resources
Genotype
Mediterranean Region
Nitrogen - metabolism
Sodium Chloride - metabolism
Stress, Physiological
Triticum - genetics
Triticum - growth & development
Triticum - metabolism
Triticum - physiology
Water Quality
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Summary:Supplemental irrigation with low-quality water will be paramount in Mediterranean agriculture in the future, where durum wheat is a major crop. Breeding for salinity tolerance may contribute towards improving resilience to irrigation with brackish water. However, identification of appropriate phenotyping traits remains a bottleneck in breeding. A set of 25 genotypes, including 19 landraces and 6 improved varieties most cultivated in Tunisia, were grown in the field and irrigated with brackish water (6, 13 and 18dSm(-1)). Improved genotypes exhibited higher grain yield (GY) and water use efficiency at the crop level (WUEyield or 'water productivity'), shorter days to flowering (DTF), lower N concentration (N) and carbon isotope composition (δ(13)C) in mature kernels and lower nitrogen isotope composition (δ(15)N) in the flag leaf compared with landraces. GY was negatively correlated with DTF and the δ(13)C and N of mature kernels and was positively correlated with the δ(15)N of the flag leaf. Moreover, δ(13)C of mature kernels was negatively correlated with WUEyield. The results highlight the importance of shorter phenology together with photosynthetic resilience to salt-induced water stress (lower δ(13)C) and nitrogen metabolism (higher N and δ(15)N) for assessing genotypic performance to salinity.
ISSN:1873-2259
DOI:10.1016/j.plantsci.2016.07.005