Abstract
Lodging is one of the most important factors that reduce wheat grain yields. To improve lodging resistance, increasing the strength of wheat stems has been an important breeding objective. To assess the rate of genetic improvement of the character, 30 wheat accessions, varying from landraces to cultivars that have been widely grown in Henan Province, China during the last 70 years, were tested for several parameters of lodging resistance in a two-year experiment. Stem strength, morphological and anatomical traits, and chemical composition were measured. The results showed that stem strength, both at anthesis and 25 days thereafter, has increased significantly during this period with average annual genetic gains of 1.07 and 0.87 %, respectively. Compared with older wheat cultivars, stem walls of modern cultivars are thicker, and the lignin content is higher. Grain yield has been significantly increased over the last 70 years, and the results of multiple regression analysis indicated that the genetic improvement of grain yield was associated with the increase in stem strength and the decrease in plant height.
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.
