Field Screening of Waterlogging Tolerance in Nordic Genotypes of Spring Wheat

Abstract

Predicted climate changes in the Nordic countries include increased precipitation during spring and winter. A consequence of wetter conditions and higher soil moisture content is an increased risk of soil compaction and anaerobic conditions, which subsequently may have a negative influence on grain yields. To determine if Nordic genotypes of spring wheat tolerate anaerobic soil conditions differently, a field screening trial of mainly Norwegian genotypes was conducted in South-East Norway. A total of 177 genotypes were screened in 2013 and 2014, whereas 107 of them were screened in both years. The plots were artificially waterlogged at BBCH 13 until the genotypes were showing distinct stress symptoms. The duration of the waterlogging treatments was 10 days in 2013 and 13 days in 2014. We scored the genotypes for traits commonly affected by waterlogging, including the percentage of chlorosis, regrowth of green biomass after 5 and 19 days of recovery, total biomass at maturity, head size and grain filling. The number of days to heading, plant height and number of heads were compared with corresponding control plots. Results were analysed in a linear mixed model with genotype as a random effect. Furthermore, estimated genotype means of the measured traits were analysed in a principal component analysis in order to study the trait relationships and identify genotypes with lowest and highest tolerance to waterlogging conditions. Preliminary results show that the ability to recover growth strongly influenced the number of developed heads. Approximately 30% of the 107 genotypes screened in both years were identified as either considerably intolerant or tolerant.