Abstract
In spite of commercial use of heterosis in agriculture, the physiological basis of heterosis is poorly understood. Photosynthetic carbon assimilation related traits of flag leaves, including photosynthetic capacity, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO 2 concentration, transpiration rate, water use efficiency, and efficiency of primary conversion of light energy, were measured at early, middle, and post grain-filling stages in a wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) diallel cross containing 20 hybrids and 9 parents. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between yield heterosis and these traits. The magnitude of heterosis varied subject to cross combination, trait, and developmental stage. Further analysis indicated that heterosis of photosynthetic carbon assimilation related traits was not correlated with that of spike length and spike number per plant, but significantly correlated with that of other yield components. At middle grain-filling stage, the heterosis of photosynthetic rate, intercellular CO 2 concentration, water use efficiency, and efficiency of primary conversion of light energy were significantly and positively correlated with those of fertile spikelets per plant, thousand-grain weight, yield per plant, and yield of main stem. These results suggested that higher photosynthetic capacity and water use efficiency could be one of the important physiological bases of wheat hybrid vigor.
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