Wheats developed for high yield on stored soil moisture have deep vigorous root systems

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Plant Breeding
• Agronomy

Background:

• Rainfed wheat production heavily depends on soil water.
• Breeding for root traits is challenging due to phenotyping difficulties and environmental influences.
• Deep root systems are crucial for accessing stored soil water in dry conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline an international field selection program for beneficial root traits in wheat.
• To identify wheat genotypes with deep and vigorous root systems for improved yield in rainfed systems.
• To evaluate the potential of Indian wheat genotypes in Australian environments.

Main Methods:

• An international field selection program using soil coring was conducted in India and Australia.
• Wheat lines were selected and bred for high yield in rainfed conditions, hypothesizing a link to deep root systems.
• Phenotyping of root traits, including maximum depth, was performed on selected Indian and Australian lines.

Main Results:

• Variation in deep root traits was observed, with maximum root depth ranging up to 146.3 cm in eastern Australia.
• Significant variation in root traits occurred across different sites and years.
• Several Indian genotypes consistently showed high rankings for deep rooting traits across multiple evaluations.

Conclusions:

• Deep, vigorous root systems are associated with high yield in rainfed wheat under drought stress.
• The international selection program successfully identified promising wheat genotypes with enhanced deep rooting capabilities.
• Indian wheat genotypes demonstrate potential for improving drought resilience in rainfed wheat production systems globally.