Wild emmer introgression alters root-to-shoot growth dynamics in durum wheat in response to water stress

Water deficit during the early vegetative growth stages of wheat (Triticum) can limit shoot growth and ultimately impact grain productivity. Introducing diversity in wheat cultivars to enhance the range of phenotypic responses to water limitations during vegetative growth can provide potential avenu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plant physiology (Bethesda) 2021-11, Vol.187 (3), p.1149-1162
Main Authors: Bacher, Harel, Zhu, Feiyu, Gao, Tian, Liu, Kan, Dhatt, Balpreet K, Awada, Tala, Zhang, Chi, Distelfeld, Assaf, Yu, Hongfeng, Peleg, Zvi, Walia, Harkamal
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Physiological
Dehydration
Droughts
Focus Issue on Architecture and Plasticity
Genetic Introgression
Genetic Variation
Phenotype
Plant Roots - genetics
Plant Roots - growth & development
Plant Roots - physiology
Plant Shoots - genetics
Plant Shoots - growth & development
Plant Shoots - physiology
Stress, Physiological
Triticum - genetics
Triticum - growth & development
Triticum - physiology
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Summary:Water deficit during the early vegetative growth stages of wheat (Triticum) can limit shoot growth and ultimately impact grain productivity. Introducing diversity in wheat cultivars to enhance the range of phenotypic responses to water limitations during vegetative growth can provide potential avenues for mitigating subsequent yield losses. We tested this hypothesis in an elite durum wheat background by introducing a series of introgressions from a wild emmer (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides) wheat. Wild emmer populations harbor rich phenotypic diversity for drought-adaptive traits. To determine the effect of these introgressions on vegetative growth under water-limited conditions, we used image-based phenotyping to catalog divergent growth responses to water stress ranging from high plasticity to high stability. One of the introgression lines exhibited a significant shift in root-to-shoot ratio in response to water stress. We characterized this shift by combining genetic analysis and root transcriptome profiling to identify candidate genes (including a root-specific kinase) that may be linked to the root-to-shoot carbon reallocation under water stress. Our results highlight the potential of introducing functional diversity into elite durum wheat for enhancing the range of water stress adaptation.
ISSN:0032-0889
1532-2548
DOI:10.1093/plphys/kiab292