Abstract
Salt-affected soils constrain wheat production globally. A wild wheat species, Thinopyrum bessarabicum (Savul. & Rayss) Á. Löve (Poaceae), and its derivatives are tolerant of high external NaCl concentrations but have not been tested yet in field conditions. The aim of this study was to study the performance of amphidiploids derived from T. bessarabicum for grain yield (GYD), yield components and grain mineral composition traits under normal and saline soil conditions. Field experiments were conducted at Karnal (pH(water) = 7.3) and Hisar (pH(water) = 8.3) sites in 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 in India. Grain samples were analysed using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Yield and yield component traits of amphidiploids were typically greater at Karnal than Hisar. The GYD was greater at Karnal (1.6 t ha−1) than Hisar (1.2 t ha−1) in 2014–2015. However, GYD was greater at Hisar (1.7 t ha−1) than Karnal (1.1 t ha−1) in 2015–2016. Mean grain zinc (Zn) concentration of eight amphidiploids, averaged across sites and years, varied from 36 to 43 mg kg−1. Some amphidiploids derived from T. bessarabicum showed greater GYD and grain Zn concentration under saline soils (Hisar) than normal soils (Karnal). These might be potential new sources for the development of salt-tolerant wheat varieties with increased grain Zn concentration under salt-affected soils.
Highlights
Wheat is an important cereal crop, providing ~21% of the total calories and protein intake in the human diet, globally [1]
The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of eight amphidiploids derived from T. bessarabicum for grain yield, yield components and grain mineral composition traits under normal and saline soil conditions in India
Grains of eight amphidiploids were observed visually and it was found that T. bessarabicum x durum wheat-derived amphidiploids, from EC 787007 to EC 787013, had longer and more brownish grains than the T. bessarabicum x Chinese Spring-derived amphidiploid (EC 787014)
Summary
Wheat is an important cereal crop, providing ~21% of the total calories and protein intake in the human diet, globally [1]. Chen et al [8] reported that grain Zn concentration in field-grown modern wheat varieties, at a global scale, varied from 20 to 31 mg kg−1. Triticum boeoticum Boiss (Am), Triticum araraticum Jakubz (AG), Aegilops longissima Fraser) Marie & Weiller (US), Aegilops cylindrica Host (CD) and Aegilops geniculata Roth (MU) have all been shown to have twice the grain Zn concentrations than the modern wheat cultivars under field conditions [10]. In addition to wild wheat species, durum wheat landraces have shown greater thousand kernel weight, grain yield, protein content [11,12] and better malting quality than the modern wheat cultivars [13] under field conditions
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