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Allometry and Yield Stability of Cereals
Jacob Weiner1, Yan-Lei Du2, Yi-Min Zhao2
1Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
Frontiers in Plant Science
|September 27, 2021
Summary
Crop yield stability depends on biomass production and allocation. Focusing on allocation, or reproductive allometry, reveals a trade-off between consistent yields and maximum yields, crucial for smallholder farmers.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Plant Physiology
- Evolutionary Ecology
Background:
- Crop yield is determined by resource allocation to seeds and fruits.
- Yield stability is the genotype's ability to buffer against environmental variations.
- Current research prioritizes biomass production over biomass allocation for yield stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define and investigate yield stability in crop plants.
- To explore the role of biomass allocation patterns in yield stability.
- To test the hypothesis that reproductive allometry drives yield stability.
Main Methods:
- Defining yield stability through crop survival, growth, and biomass allocation.
- Utilizing ecological theory and allometric models to analyze biomass allocation.
- Reanalyzing data from two independent studies to validate findings.
Main Results:
- Yield stability is influenced by both biomass production and its allocation to yield.
- Reproductive allometry, the relationship between vegetative and reproductive biomass, significantly impacts yield stability.
- A trade-off exists between a genotype's ability to yield consistently across conditions and its potential for maximum yield under optimal conditions.
Conclusions:
- Yield stability in crops is analogous to bet-hedging in evolutionary ecology.
- Understanding biomass allocation is critical for improving crop yield stability.
- Developing crop varieties for smallholder farmers requires a shift in breeding objectives towards yield stability.
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