Durum Wheat Grain Yield Research Articles

Genotype-Environment Interaction and Phenotypic Stability Analysis for Grain Yield of Durum Wheat in the Misurata Region

تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى تقييم التداخل بين التركيب الوراثي (GE)، والبيئة، وتحديد سلالات القمح الصلب (Triticum turgidum var. durum) المناسبة لإنتاج الحبوب في منطقة مصراتة - ليبيا. تم تقييم خمس عشرة سلالة، وصنف من القمح الصلب تحت الري التكميلي باستخدام تصميم القطاعات الكاملة العشوائية بثلاث مكررات. نفذت الدراسة لمدة 5 سنوات. وتم تحليل التداخل GE باستخدام تقنيات الانحدار الخطي. أوضحت النتائج وجود فروق معنوية عالية في صفة إنتاج الحبوب بين التراكيب الوراثية. أجري تقدير الثباتية وفقًا لتحليل الثبات باستخدام طريقة Eberhart، و Russell، كان التركيب الوراثي G9 هو الأكثر استقرارًا في صفة إنتاج محصول الحبوب. معامل الانحدار للسلالة G9 كان وحدة تقريبًا (bi = 1) وسجل أدنى انحراف عن معامل الانحدار (S2di) . في المقابل، أظهرت السلالات G10، و G3 معامل انحدار أكبر من 1.0، مما يشير إلى تأثرهما الكبير بالتغيرات البيئية لصفة محصول الحبوب. سجل أعلى محصول للسلالات G10، وG9بـ 3.65، و 3.19 طن/هكتار على التوالي متوسطا لكل البيئات. أظهرت السلالة G10 أعلى محصول للحبوب، ومعامل انحدار أكبر من الواحد، مما يشير إلى أنها حساسة للتغير البيئي، ويمكن التوصية بها تحت ظروف الزراعة المروية.

Effects of Applying Different N Sources on Cd Accumulation, Mineral Micronutrients, and Grain Yield of Durum Wheat

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different nitrogen sources on Cd concentration in durum wheat grains in soils with low and high Cd contamination. Triticum turgidum L. durum, cv. Balcali-2000 was sown as test plant material in plastic pots containing 3.2 kg of soil. Low (0.5) and high Cd (5.0 mg Cd kg− 1 soil) were added to the culture media in the form of 3(CdSO4).8H2O. Nitrogen was also added in the form of Ca(NO3)2.4 H2O in low, sufficient, and high concentrations. In addition, a foliar application of 0.5% urea was used as a further nitrogen supply. The results showed that the total nitrogen content and the Cd concentration of the grains increased with increasing nitrogen application. This increase was more pronounced with a combination of soil nitrogen and foliar urea. While the Cd concentration in the grains was 354 µg kg− 1 at low soil Cd concentration and insufficient nitrogen supply, the Cd concentration in the grains increased by 40% to 498 µg kg− 1 at low Cd concentration and high nitrogen supply. This increase in Cd concentration in the grains was 32% higher under high nitrogen applications than at high Cd-insufficient conditions. In addition, foliar application of urea to durum wheat leaves at low soil Cd concentrations increased the Cd concentration in the grains from 354 µg kg− 1 to 484 µg kg− 1. This study showed that different treatments and amounts of nitrogen sources can affect the uptake and accumulation of Cd in wheat grains at different Cd levels.

Effects of post-flowering drought and supplemental irrigation on grain yield and agro-phenological traits in durum wheat

Water deficit and unbalanced distribution rainfall in the Mediterranean rainfed regions are major problems threatening agricultural sustainability, especially durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum) production. This study aimed to investigate the effects of drought and supplemental irrigation in post-flowering stage on traits performance of durum wheat trials and to identify traits that significantly contribute to increase the grain yield of durum wheat under different water regimes and recommend new genotypes adapted to climate change. An eight-year field study was conducted from 2014 to 2022, consisting of 36 field experiments, 18 under rainfed and 18 under supplemental irrigation (two times irrigation in flowering and grain-filling stages) conditions through six experimental series of elite durum wheat yield trials each with same genotypes. In each experiment, grain yield, 1000-kernel weight (TKW), plant height (PLH), days to heading (DHE) and maturity (DMA) were recorded. Drought stress tolerance index (STI) and mean productivity (MP) were applied to differentiate high-performing and drought tolerant durum wheat genotypes in each experimental series. The combined analysis of variance for traits studied of each experimental series indicated that the year, water stress treatment, genotype and their interaction effects were significant. For grain yield, year was the main source of variation and had the highest impact on genotypes performance. The results indicated that the supplemental irrigation, depending on genetic materials, significantly increased grain yield (18.7%-45.8%), TKW (8.2%-12.9%), and PLH (1.1%-8.2%) compared with the rainfed condition across years. Supplemental irrigation exhibited for no significant effect on the increase of the maturity time (0.2%-2.2%) of genotypes tested compared with the rainfed condition. The results confirmed the systematic effects of post-flowering drought on yield, grain weight and plant stature of durum wheat. A positive and significant trend (R2=0.62; P<0.01) was observed between yield production in rainfed condition and cumulative rainfall, showing that in 62% of the cases higher rainfall resulted in higher performance. TKW and PLH significantly and positively correlated with mean yield in the both rainfed and irrigated conditions, suggesting the importance of these two traits in breeding programs to assist in developing high yielding genotypes under different water regime conditions. Evaluation of genotypes in terms of mean yield and stability performance using GGE biplot, resulted in identification of superior lines that outperformed the check cultivars. The STI and MP were desirable selection criteria for high yielding and drought tolerant genotypes, thus high yielding genotypes that are tolerant to drought would be expected to have good yield stability in stressful environments. The results highlight the significant effects of drought stress after flowering upon grain yield, and the significant contribution of 1000-kernel weight and plant height to increase grain yield under different water regimes, that could be utilized to aid breeding of high-performing and drought tolerant durum wheat genotypes under the future climate conditions.

Non-foliar photosynthesis and nitrogen assimilation influence grain yield in durum wheat regardless of water conditions.

There is a need to generate improved crop varieties adapted to the ongoing changes in the climate. We studied durum wheat canopy and central metabolism of six different photosynthetic organs in two yield-contrasting varieties. The aim was to understand the mechanisms associated with the water stress response and yield performance. Water stress strongly reduced grain yield, plant biomass and leaf photosynthesis, and downregulated C/N-metabolism genes and key protein levels, which occurred mainly in leaf blades. By contrast, higher yield was associated with high ear dry weight and lower biomass and ears per area, highlighting the advantage of reduced tillering and its consequent improvement in sink strength that promoted C/N metabolism at the whole plant level. An improved C metabolism in blades and ear bracts and N assimilation in all photosynthetic organs facilitated C/N remobilisation to the grain and promoted yield. Therefore, we propose that further yield gains in Mediterranean conditions could be achieved by considering the source-sink dynamics and the contribution of non-foliar organs, particularly N assimilation and remobilisation during the late growth stages. We highlight the power of linking phenotyping with plant metabolism to identify novel traits at the whole plant level to support breeding programmes.

Durum Wheat Production and Soil Chemical Properties in Response to Three Biannual Rotation Cycles with Residue Incorporation

Crop rotations incorporating residues generates benefits in productivity and a better efficiency of resources. However, the incorporation of residues in high quantities is not a common practice, given the lack of comprehension of farmers of the effects on the following crop. This experiment was carried out in an Andisol soil in south-central of Chile. Three biannual rotation cycles (canola-durum wheat and bean-durum wheat) with four levels of residue incorporation (0%, 50%, 100% and 200%) were evaluated on the evolution of grain yield and production of durum wheat residues, and on chemical properties of the soil at the end of the three cycles. The results indicated that pre-cultivation affected the grain yield and residue production of durum wheat, highlighting the positive effect of the bean. In soil, a higher concentration of available N and exchangeable Ca, Mg and K was obtained in the bean-durum wheat rotation, and a higher concentration of available S in the canola- durum wheat rotation. By increasing the dose of waste, an increase in the concentrations of exchangeable Ca, Mg and K was achieved. Finally, the chemical properties of the soil presented positive and negative correlations associated with the management of liming, fertilization and nutrients mostly present in the incorporated waste. This study helped to validate that the continuous incorporation of the residues produced within the rotations in this volcanic soil contributes to the improvement of some of its chemical properties with no effect of yield of the durum wheat crop.

Nitrogen dose to maximize grain yield and quality of durum wheat depends on the water availability in Chilean Mediterranean environments

Nitrogen dose to maximize grain yield and quality of durum wheat depends on the water availability in Chilean Mediterranean environments

Simultaneous improvement of grain yield and grain protein concentration in durum wheat by using association tests and weighted GBLUP

Simultaneous improvement of grain yield and grain protein concentration in durum wheat by using association tests and weighted GBLUP

Effect of genotype by environment interactions on quality parameters and grain yield of durum wheat

Abstract. Bouchetat F, Ghana R, Himour S, Bouaroudj S, Benfikh LA. 2023. Effect of genotype by environment interactions on quality parameters and grain yield of durum wheat. Biodiversitas 24: 5565-5571. Two experimental trials were conducted at different bioclimatic levels, with the aim to investigate the effect of genotype x environment (Gx E) interaction on grain yield and technological parameters of eight durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) varieties. The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block with three replications. The results showed a high Gx E effect on the expression of all evaluated traits. Varieties V4 and V1 with respectively, (24.95 q/ha and 24.73 q/ha) exhibited the highest average yield values across targeted environments. Averaged over the variety main effect, a significant difference of 42 q/ha, in favor of a humid environment, came out for yield. Varieties V3 (84.1 kg/hl) and V6 (83.36 kg/hl) demonstrated the best average specific weight values ??per hectolitre. Similarly, V2; V3; V5 and V7 had the highest rates of black point, while V2 shawled resistance to vitreous kernels (4.33 %). The V3 variety was strongly resistant to grain scalding (2.16 %). The highest levels of protein content were obtained in V6 and V4 (13.38 %; 13.3 %). Varieties: V3; V6 and V1 expressed the best wet gluten content (27.7 %; 26.15 % and 26.13 %). Indeed, the results obtained indicate that each variety is expressed by a particular behavior in relation to environmental diversity.

Genotype-by-environment interaction for grain yield and quality traits in durum wheat: Identification of ideotypes adapted to the Spanish region of Castile and León

Understanding how environmental conditions affect grain yield and quality in the Mediterranean basin, characterised by high interannual climate variations, is essential for the successful selection of durum wheat varieties better adapted to local agro-environments. We evaluated the effects of the genotype-by-environment interaction on grain yield and quality traits in a multi-environment field trial, across five consecutive growing seasons, to identify the varieties with consistently specific and broader adaptation to prevailing and limiting conditions in the Spanish region of Castile and León. Fourteen commercial varieties were tested in thirteen environments, including different management practises (irrigation, late sowing and nitrogen fertilisation). AMMI, Finlay-Wilkinson and GGE models were used to study the genotype-by-environment interaction, showing that the environment was the main factor affecting yield and grain quality traits. The genotypic and genotype-by-environment interaction effects were also significant for most traits. We identified the varieties with higher grain yield and quality or greater stability across environments. However, there are no varieties that perform better for all traits. We found the yellow pigment concentration as heritable trait, while δ13C, grain yield and vitreousness had the lowest genetic control. We conclude that the Castile and León region is a suitable agro-environment for durum wheat under current and limiting climatic conditions, although the selection of varieties and management practises is necessary to maximise profitability depending on the final end-use of the grain. This study provides relevant information for future durum wheat breeding programmes that take into account crop's stability and resilience to multiple environmental factors.

Genomics for Yield and Yield Components in Durum Wheat.

In recent years, many efforts have been conducted to dissect the genetic basis of yield and yield components in durum wheat thanks to linkage mapping and genome-wide association studies. In this review, starting from the analysis of the genetic bases that regulate the expression of yield for developing new durum wheat varieties, we have highlighted how, currently, the reductionist approach, i.e., dissecting the yield into its individual components, does not seem capable of ensuring significant yield increases due to diminishing resources, land loss, and ongoing climate change. However, despite the identification of genes and/or chromosomal regions, controlling the grain yield in durum wheat is still a challenge, mainly due to the polyploidy level of this species. In the review, we underline that the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies coupled with improved wheat genome assembly and high-throughput genotyping platforms, as well as genome editing technology, will revolutionize plant breeding by providing a great opportunity to capture genetic variation that can be used in breeding programs. To date, genomic selection provides a valuable tool for modeling optimal allelic combinations across the whole genome that maximize the phenotypic potential of an individual under a given environment.

Genotype-by-Environment Interaction and Stability Analysis for Grain Yield in Durum Wheat Using GGE Biplot and Genotypic and Environmental Covariates

Genotype-by-Environment Interaction and Stability Analysis for Grain Yield in Durum Wheat Using GGE Biplot and Genotypic and Environmental Covariates

Construction of some selection procedures for improvement of grain yield in durum wheat

Construction of some selection procedures for improvement of grain yield in durum wheat

Grain yield and quality responses of durum wheat (Triticum turgium L. var. durum) to nitrogen and phosphorus rate in Yilmana Densa, Northwestern Ethiopia

Proper rate of fertilizer application is the major factor that affects yield and quality of durum wheat. Location specific fertilizer recommendation is lacking for durum wheat, therefore, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) field experiment on durum wheat was carried out on farmer's field in 2017 and 2018 cropping seasons at Yilmana Densa district, Northwestern Ethiopia. The objective was to examine the response of durum wheat to N and P application and determine the optimal rate of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) for durum wheat production in the district and similar agro ecology areas. Factorial combinations of four N levels (0, 90, 180 and 270 kg ha−1) and four P levels (0, 17.5, 35 and 52.5 kg ha−1) were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replications per site, over two sites in each year. Results indicated that N significantly affected most of the crop parametrs including grain yield, plant height, total number of tillers and effective tillers, spike length and seeds per spike, and the maximum value of the parameters recorded at the highest rate of N while application of phosphorus affected grain yield, plant height and spile length. The interaction effect of N and P significantly affected grain yield, plant height and seeds per spike. Grain yield showed quadratic and linear response to N and P application, respectively. The maximum grain yield (5182 kg ha−1) was obtained from the highest rate 270/52.5 N/P kg ha−1. The economic analysis revealed application of 270/52.5 N/P kg ha−1 gave the highest net benefit of 169741 ETB ha−1 with marginal rate of return 1453% and full fills the standard for quality of durum wheat production and hence can be recommended in Yilmana Densa District and other similar agro-ecologies in Ethiopia. The study revealed the need to further investigation for optimal N and P rates for different durum wheat varieties as they differ in protein content under the same management practices.

Diagnosis of the rainfall-wheat yield relationship in the current and future climate change conditions in Eastern Algeria

Future projections indicate that rain-fed agriculture in North Africa is among the most vulnerable in the world in the context of future climate change. This article aims to diagnose the relationship between rainfall and wheat yield in both current and future climatic situations in a semi arid agro-climatic conditions represented by the region of Bordj Bou Arreridj. For the current situation, we used 15 years (1995–2009) of recorded rainfall and durum wheat yield series. Future rainfall projections (2071–2100) were generated by the MED-CORDEX climate model version CCLM4-8-19 under RCP 6.0 scenario. Simulated data over the observed period and that of the future on the maximum evapotranspiration (ETM) of durum wheat and the water deficit (WD) accumulated over the cycle as well as future yields are obtained using a simple agro meteorological crop simulation model, previously validated. In both current and future situations, precipitations, ETM, WD and yields data are first analyzed, then yields are related by regression to three components of rainfall: annual rainfall, cumulative rainfall over the crop cycle (November–June) and cumulative rainfall during spring (March–May). In the observed climate, annual precipitation averages 382.3 ± 96.3 mm, cumulative rainfall over the crop cycle (November–June) averages 278.3 mm and cumulative rainfall during spring is 101.9 mm. These last decrease to 303.7 ± 99.4, 232.3 and 83.3 mm in the future situation. Observed yields (1995–2009) averages1.9 ± 0.64 q/ha in the observed situation and decrease to 15.5 ± 0.54 q/ha in future climate. ETM are low and WD values are high in the current climate, with a worsening of the situation in the future climate, particularly during spring. The correlation between yields and précitations is always positive in both weather conditions, but the best R2 are 0.65 and 0.82 and concern spring rains. In semi-arid regions, cumulative rainfall towards the end of the growing season is currently impacting the grain yield of durum wheat and will become more decisive in the context of future climate change.

Marker-trait association analyses revealed major novel QTLs for grain yield and related traits in durum wheat.

The growing global demand for wheat for food is rising due to the influence of population growth and climate change. The dissection of complex traits by employing a genome-wide association study (GWAS) allows the identification of DNA markers associated with complex traits to improve the productivity of crops. We used GWAS with 10,045 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers to search for genomic regions associated with grain yield and related traits based on diverse panels of Ethiopian durum wheat. In Ethiopia, multi-environment trials of the genotypes were carried out at five locations. The genotyping was conducted using the 25k Illumina Wheat SNP array to explore population structure, linkage disequilibrium (LD), and marker-trait associations (MTAs). For GWAS, the multi-locus Fixed and Random Model Circulating Probability Unification (FarmCPU) model was applied. Broad-sense heritability estimates were high, ranging from 0.63 (for grain yield) to 0.97 (for thousand-kernel weight). The population structure based on principal component analysis, and model-based cluster analysis revealed two genetically distinct clusters with limited admixtures. The LD among SNPs declined within the range of 2.02-10.04 Mbp with an average of 4.28 Mbp. The GWAS scan based on the mean performance of the genotypes across the environments identified 44 significant MTAs across the chromosomes. Twenty-six of these MTAs are novel, whereas the remaining 18 were previously reported and confirmed in this study. We also identified candidate genes for the novel loci potentially regulating the traits. Hence, this study highlights the significance of the Ethiopian durum wheat gene pool for improving durum wheat globally. Furthermore, a breeding strategy focusing on accumulating favorable alleles at these loci could improve durum wheat production in the East African highlands and elsewhere.

The influence of mineral and microbiological fertilizers on the biological activity of chestnut soil and the productivity of spring durum wheat in the conditions of the dry steppe of the Volga region

The article is devoted to determining the effect of mineral and microbiological fertilizers on the grain yield of spring durum wheat (variety Luch 25) and the cellulose-decomposing ability of the soil during moldboard and minimal tillage. It is concluded that mineral and microbiological provide the maximum efficiency, which in turn contributes to an increase in crop yields.

Harnessing diversity in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) to enhance climate resilience and micronutrient concentration through genetic and agronomic biofortification

Huge consumption of wheat-driven food products with low bioavailability and small concentrations of zinc is responsible for zinc-induced malnutrition and associated health complications. The contemporary durum wheat varieties have inherently tiny zinc concentrations in developing grain, which cannot meet the daily human zinc demand. Despite the fact that over two billion people are suffering from iron and zinc-induced malnutrition, various intervention measures have been deployed to reverse the effect of zinc-induced malnutrition on humans. There are evidences that agronomic and genetic biofortification approaches can increase grain yield and nutritional quality (i.e. zinc, iron, protein, and vitamins) of durum wheat to a greater extent. However, there is a lack of direct empirical evidence for which the influence of both biofortification approaches on improving human health. Application of micronutrient-containing fertilizers either in the soil or foliarly is effective in combination with NPK, organic fertilizers coupled with efficient durum wheat varieties, emphasizing the need for integrated soil fertility management (ISFM). Although genetic biofortification is a cost-effective and sustainable approach, agronomic biofortification provides an immediate and effective route to enhancing micronutrient concentrations in durum wheat grain. The application of zinc-containing fertilizers is more effective under drought conditions than in normal growing situations. Hence, this article provides a key information for agronomists and breeders about the potential of biofortification interventions to improve durum wheat yield and enrich the grain qualitative traits to ensure food and nutritional security of the ever-increasing world population.

Genetic Gains in Grain Yield and Agronomic Traits of Argentinian Durum Wheat from 1934 to 2015

Understanding the basis of genetic gains in grain yield and yield-related traits is essential for designing future breeding strategies that lead to the development of higher-yielding wheat cultivars. The objectives of this study were to assess the changes in grain yield achieved by durum wheat breeding in Argentina and to identify the agronomic traits associated with these changes. To this end, a wide set of Argentinian cultivars was analyzed in three field trials. A significant linear trend (R2 = 0.55) was observed between the grain yield and the cultivar’s release year, with an increase of 26.94 kg ha−1 yr−1 from 1934 to 2015. The harvest index and grain number were key traits that explained the increases in grain yield. The number of grains per plant increased with the cultivar’s release year, while the thousand kernel weight remained unchanged. The grain yield showed an increase of 51% when comparing old cultivars (&lt;1980) with intermediate ones (1980–1999), whereas the increase between intermediate and modern cultivars (2000+) was only 16%. Thus, the genetic gains were mostly associated with the incorporation of semi-dwarfism into the germplasm in the 1980s, with low genetic gains after that.

Genetic improvement in grain yield and quality of Australian durum wheat over six decades of breeding

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesDurum wheat breeding commenced in Australia in the 1930s by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI), Australia. Dural was developed in 1956 from a cross between North African landraces. Since then, another 20 varieties have been released in the following six decades by NSW DPI and the University of Adelaide. These were evaluated for agronomic and detailed quality traits including pasta‐making quality over three seasons. This study aimed to quantify progress achieved in Australian durum breeding for yield, quality, and some agronomic traits since the release of Dural.FindingsA demonstrated grain yield improvement at the rate of 27.8 kg ha−1 year−1 up to 2017 has been achieved when generally maintaining low screenings and high thousand grain weight. The recent varieties are medium early in their maturity relative to Dural and possess improved lodging tolerance which has resulted in better adaptation to seasonal conditions under dryland cultivation, and also, adaptation to high input irrigated cropping. Breeding has also resulted in higher technological quality, specifically, improved semolina yellow color, higher dough strength, improved pasta brightness and yellowness but with slightly declining grain protein content. Strong genetic gain was observed in semolina color traits, namely, reduction in a* and increase in b*.ConclusionThe progress in Australian durum breeding over the last six decades compares well to the progress achieved in other countries for yield, agronomic, and quality traits. The improvements in yield and quality are expected to continue with future developments focussing on adaptation to meet the changing climate and improving tolerance to a major disease, crown rot, while maintaining high technological quality.Significance and NoveltyThis is the first study quantifying the progress made in Australian durum breeding efforts and the first study that includes pasta‐making quality traits from an historical breeding perspective.

Integrated nutrient supply and varietal difference influence grain yield and yield related physio-morphological traits of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) varieties under drought condition

The ever-growing world population entails an improvement in durum wheat grain yield to ensure an adequate food supply, which often gets impaired by several biotic and abiotic factors. Integrated nutrient management, such as nitrogen rate × foliar zinc × sulphur fertilization combined with durum wheat varieties were investigated in order to examine the dynamics of yield and yield related physio-morphological traits under drought conditions. The four durum wheat varieties, three-level of nutrient supply (i.e. control, sulphur, and zinc), and two nitrogen regimes (i.e. zero and 60 kg ha−1) were arranged in split-split plot design with three replications. Zinc and sulphur were applied as foliar fertilisation during the flag leaf stage, both at a rate of 3 and 4 liters ha-1, respectively. Results showed existence of genetic variability for grain yield, plant height, NDVI, SPAD and spike density. Foliar based application of zinc and sulphur at the latter stage improved the plant height. Nitrogen fertilized varieties with lower spike numbers showed to better yield formation. Co-fertilization of nitrogen and zinc improved grain yield of responsive varieties like Duragold by about 21.3%. Spikes per m2 were statistically insignificant for grain yield improvement. It could be inferred that the observed positive effect of sulphur, nitrogen and zinc application on physio-morphology and yield formation substantiates the need to include these essential nutrients in the cultivation system of durum wheat.