Characteristics of yield components and population quality in high-nitrogen- utilization wheat cultivars

Abstract

<p indent="0mm">In the rice-wheat rotation system, 24 and 23 wheat cultivars were separately planted in Yangzhou and Suining of Jiangsu province in 2016–2017 and 2017–2018. According to nitrogen utilization rate (NUR), these cultivars were clustered into three groups, i.e., NUR-H (NUR ≥ 50%), NUR-M (NUR 40%–50%), and NUR-L (NUR ≤ 40%), to identify the differences in grain yield, yield components, and population quality, which would provide a reference for cultivar selection for high-yield and high-efficiency in wheat production. Yangmai 25 and Ningmai 21 in Yangzhou and Huaimai 35 in Suining showed NUR-H phenotypes in consecutive two years. Grain yield of the NUR-H cultivars was more than <sc>6500 kg</sc> hm^–2 in Yangzhou and <sc>7000 kg</sc> hm^–2 in Suining, which were significantly higher than those of NUR-M and NUR-L groups. NUR-H group had more spikes, and it grains per spike and 1000-grain weight were not significantly different from those of the other groups. Grain yield and spikes number were significantly positively correlated with NUR among different cultivars. More stem and tiller number, higher percentage of fertile tillers and higher leaf area index (LAI) at the milk-ripening stage were shown in the NUR-H group. A higher dry matter accumulation at stages of booting, anthesis, and maturity, after anthesis, and in the vegetative organs at maturity were found in the NUR-H group. However, there were no differences in dry matter remobilization and harvest index among different cultivars. Number of stems and tillers at booting and anthesis, LAI at the milk-ripe stage, and dry matter accumulation at each stage after anthesis, and in the vegetative organs at maturity were significantly positively correlated with NUR in the all cultivar in two sites. A vigorous tillering capacity at the early growing phase and a higher LAI and photosynthetic production at the late growth stages could be observed in NUR-H cultivars, resulting in more photosynthate for grain-filling. Furthermore, the critical parameters of cultivar screening for high-yield and high-efficiency in wheat following rice were proposed, that is <sc>16,000–20,000 kg</sc> hm^–2 dry matter accumulation at maturity and <sc>4100–6700 kg</sc> hm^–2 dry matter accumulation after anthesis.