How Does the Environment Affect Wheat Yield and Protein Content Response to Drought? A Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Plant Physiology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a vital global crop, particularly in semi-arid and temperate zones.
• Environmental factors, especially drought, significantly impact wheat yield and protein quality.
• Comprehensive meta-analyses on drought's effects on wheat are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a meta-analysis exploring environmental influences on wheat yield and protein content under drought.
• To quantify the impact of drought on grain yield (GY), grain protein yield (GPY), grain protein content (GPC), and grain nitrogen content (GNC).
• To identify key environmental factors modulating wheat's response to drought stress.

Main Methods:

• Meta-analysis of 48 published datasets from 15 countries.
• Data collection on GY, GPY, GPC, and GNC under various drought conditions.
• Statistical analysis to determine drought effects and influencing factors.

Main Results:

• Drought decreased GY by 57.32% and GPY by 46.04%.
• Drought increased GPC by 9.38% and GNC by 9.27%.
• Continuous drought stress (CD) caused greater yield reduction (83.60%) than terminal drought stress (TD, 26.43%). Precipitation >513 mm eliminated negative drought effects on GPY. Sandy soils and high nitrogen mitigated drought effects. Winter wheat exhibited higher drought resistance.

Conclusions:

• Drought significantly alters wheat yield and nutritional quality, with varying responses based on drought type and environmental conditions.
• Understanding these responses is crucial for improving wheat production and ensuring food security in drought-prone regions.
• Winter wheat demonstrates superior resilience to drought compared to spring wheat.