Abstract
Sustaining wheat production under low-input conditions through development and identifying genotypes with enhanced nutritional quality are two current concerns of wheat breeders. Wheat grain total protein content, to no small extent, determines the economic and nutritive value of wheat. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to identify accessions with high and low grain protein content (GPC) under well-watered and water-deficit growth conditions and to locate genomic regions that contribute to GPC accumulation. Spring wheat grains obtained from 2111 accessions that were grown under well-watered and water-deficit conditions were assessed for GPC using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR). Results indicated significant influences of moisture, genotype, and genotype × environment interaction on the GPC accumulation. Furthermore, genotypes exhibited a wide range of variation for GPC, indicating the presence of high levels of genetic variability among the studied accessions. Around 366 (166 with high GPC and 200 with low GPC) wheat genotypes performed relatively the same across environments, which implies that GPC accumulation in these genotypes was less responsive to water deficit. Genome-wide association mapping results indicated that seven single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) were linked with GPC under well-watered growth conditions, while another six SNPs were linked with GPC under water-deficit conditions only. Moreover, 10 SNPs were linked with GPC under both well-watered and water-deficit conditions. These results emphasize the importance of using diverse, worldwide germplasm to dissect the genetic architecture of GPC in wheat and identify accessions that might be potential parents for high GPC in wheat breeding programs.
Highlights
IntroductionWheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the food commodity for more than third of the world's population
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the food commodity for more than third of the world's population.Wheat grain is a rich source of starch
Increase in grain protein content (GPC) under water deficit conditions could be mainly due to higher rates of accumulation of grain nitrogen and lower rates of accumulation of carbohydrates
Summary
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the food commodity for more than third of the world's population. Wheat grain is a rich source of starch (carbohydrate). Wheat is primarily considered as a source of energy [1]. Wheat grain contains moderate amounts of dietary proteins which determines, to a large extent, both the end-use quality and wheat grain price [2]. Wheat grain total protein content (GPC) ranges from 9 to 15% of the dry weight [3,4]. GPC depends primarily on the genotype; the environment and genotype × environment interaction plays an essential role in grain protein accumulation [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
