Thousand-seed Weight Research Articles

Seed physiological quality of wheat cultivars in response to phosphate fertilization

Abstract: Mineral nutrients play an important role in the composition of seeds, influencing the germination rate and the production of vigorous seedlings, which is fundamental for the establishment of the plant stand and crop yield. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of phosphate fertilization on phosphorus (P) content and the physiological quality of seeds of wheat cultivars. A 2 × 16 split plot design was used, with two rates of P (0 and 140 kg.ha-1) and 16 wheat genotypes (cultivars BR 18, BR 23, BRS 208, BRS 254, BRS 264, BRS 404, BRS Graúna, BRS Pardela, BRS Sabiá, WT 15025, CD 118, IPR Catuara, Ocepar 14, Supera, TBIO Bandeirante and TBIO Iguaçu). The evaluation includes: first count, germination, accelerated aging, seedling emergence and length, electrical conductivity, emergence speed index, P content in seeds, and thousand-seed weight. The data of P rates and wheat genotypes were subject to analysis of variance and to the comparison of means by the F-test and Scott-Knott test, respectively. The seeds of BR 18 and Ocepar 14 showed higher physiological quality, whereas the seeds of TBIO Iguaçu, CD 118, and BRS Sabiá showed lower vigor. Phosphate fertilization provides the production of wheat seeds with higher P content and physiological quality, but it does not influence the thousand-seed weight of most wheat cultivars.

Buckwheat seed quality and pathogenicity of Fusarium spp. in plants

Abstract: Buckwheat is a species with great economic and production potential, which has gained increasing importance. This study aimed to determine the physical, physiological, and sanitary quality of samples from seed lots, and to evaluate the pathogenicity of Fusarium spp. in buckwheat plants. Physical and physiological quality was evaluated by the thousand-seed weight, moisture content, germination test (5th and 7th days), seedling length, and seedling dry mass, while sanitary quality was determined by the health test on filter paper, with the seeds subjected to asepsis and without asepsis. Isolates of Fusarium spp. were obtained from symptomatic seedlings in the paper roll germination test. To identify and characterize fungal isolates, morphological and molecular approaches were used. Pathogenicity was determined on healthy plants in a controlled environment. The lots showed high physiological quality in the germination evaluation (5th and 7th days). There was a high incidence of Fusarium spp. in all lots, which can be reduced with seed asepsis. The isolates were identified as Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex, and were pathogenic to buckwheat plants.

Transferring of clubroot-resistant locus CRd from Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa) to canola (Brassica napus) through interspecific hybridization.

Clubroot, caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae is one of the most severe threats to brassica species in China and worldwide. Breeding for clubroot resistant varieties is one of the best ways to overcome this disease. In this study, we introduced clubroot resistance (CR) gene CRd from Chinese cabbage (85-74) into elite Brassica napus inbred line Zhongshuang 11 through interspecific hybridization and subsequent backcrossing with whole-genome molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS). The resistant test of CRd to P. brassicae isolates was evaluated in the greenhouse as well as in field conditions. Close linkage markers and the whole-chromosome background marker selection approach improved the recovery rate from 78.3% in BC1 to 100% in BC3F1. The improved clubroot-resistant variety, Zhongshuang11R, was successfully selected in the BC3F2 generation. The greenhouse and field resistant tests revealed that Zhongshuang11R was resistant to P. brassicae pathotypes. The agronomic characteristics of Zhongshuang11R were similar to those of its recurrent parental line, including oil content, composition of fatty acid, plant height, primary effective branches, grain yield per plant and thousand-seed weight. In addition, the oil quality could satisfy the quality requirements for commercial rapeseed oil. Our results will enrich the resistant resources of canola and will certainly accelerate clubroot resistance breeding programs in B. napus.

Chapter 10: Thousand-seed weight (TSW) determination

Chapter 10: Thousand-seed weight (TSW) determination

Effect on Yield and some Quality Characteristics of Seed Harvest at Different Stages of Maturity in Nigella sativa L.

Nigella sativa L. is a significant medicinal and aromatic plant due to the usage of both its seed and fixed oil. The aim of the study is to investigate the effects on seed yield, various yield components, fixed and essential oil content, and chemical composition (2018 year) of black cumin when harvesting the seed at four different stages of maturity. These stages were 25% (SH1), 50% (SH2), 75% (SH3) and 100% (SH4) browning of capsules. Two-year field experiments (2017 and 2018) were set up according to a randomized complete block design with triplicate, using a black cumin population obtained from the Burdur province under Isparta ecological conditions.Significant statistical differences were found among the harvest stages in regards to the seed yield, plant height and the thousand-seed weight, while no differences were found in the numbers of capsules and branches, essential oil and fixed oil contents in both experimental years. Seed yield and its components increased during the harvest stage up to SH3, while essential oil and fixed oil contents decreased insignificantly from SH1 to SH4 in both years. According to the combined years; plant height, the number of capsules, the number of branches, the 1000 seed weight, seed yields, essential oil and fixed oil contents varied between 38.3-42.5 cm, 6.03-6.85 capsule plant-1, 6.50-6.91 branches plant-1, 2.30-2.57 g, 307.3-542.3 kg ha-1, 0.087-0.101% and 31.14-32.69%, respectively. The main components of black cumin essential oil were characterized by cymol (25.01-26.90%), thymoquinone (2.39-4.41%), carvacrol (10.12-10.41%), junipene (5.33-6.66%), Δ-3-carene (5.55-8.71%), β-pinene (2.98-3.65), trans-sabinene hydrate (8.02-11.93%) and α-thujene (7.82-9.42%) according to harvest stages in the 2018 season. Considering the present results, SH3 stage was advised because of its higher seed yield. The contents of essential oil composition of black cumin varied according to harvest stages.

Высокопродуктивный сорт сурепицы яровой тип «000» Грация

The spring turnip rapeseed cultivar Gratsiya was developed at the Siberian experimental station – a branch of V.S. Pustovoit All-Russian Research Institute of Oil Crops by multiple individual and family selections from high-yielding, yellowseeded forms of the German cultivar Eldorado. In 2020, we isolated elite plant in the selection nursery by the main agronomic valuable traits: early maturity, high productivity, resistance to lodging, yellow seed color, low content of glucosinolates in the seeds and erucic acid in the oil. According to the results of three years competitive trials (2018–2020), 12 promising numbers with a growing season of 66–70 days were evaluated and a promising high-yielding number 31119 – the cultivar of type “000” Gratsiya was isolated. The cultivar of spring turnip rapeseed Gratsiya exceeded the standard cultivar Pobeda in seed yield by 0.21 t/ha and in oil yield by 0.08 t/ha. By the main agronomic traits, the cultivar Gratsiya differs from the standard one in lower content of glucosinolates in seeds (14.6 µmol/g) and erucic acid in oil (0.43 %). Seedlings are green, without wax coating, the plant is semi-dense, medium-branched, plant height of 120– 135 cm. The fruit is a pod, 5–7 cm long. Seeds are yellow, with an addition of brown – up to 2 %. Thousand-seed weight is 2.5–2.8 g. It is moderately drought-resistant, has uniform ripening, is suitable for mechanical harvesting, and is recommended for cultivation throughout the Russian Federation because of its early maturity.

Зависимость выхода семян кондиционной фракции у материнских линий гибридов подсолнечника от густоты стояния растений

In 2017–2020, on leached black soils in the central climatic zone of the Krasnodar region we studied the patterns of amount of a fraction of certified seeds (amount of physically clean seeds from a sieve with holes of size 2.5 x 20 mm) of the early maturing inbreds – the maternal forms of sunflower hybrids VK 101, VK 678, VK 905, VA 760 and ED 765 bred at the V.S. Pustovoit All-Russian Research Institute of Oil Crops depending on the plant density of 40, 50, 60 and 70 thousand plants/ha. We established the negative dependence of the amount of a fraction of certified seeds on the plant density. On average for 2017–2020, the maximum yield of such seeds was obtained when growing the studied maternal lines with plant density of 40 thousand plants/ha: 95 % in VK 905, 88 % in VK 678, and 76–79 % in VA 760, VK 101, and ED 765. With the increasing plat population from 40 to 70 thousand plants/ha, after each 10 thousand plants/ha on average, the amount of a fraction of certified seeds decreased by 1.9 % in VK 905, by 4.9–5.9 in VK 101, VK 678, VA 760, and by 5.9 % in ED 765; the number of a fraction of certified seeds per head decreased by 37 in VK 95 to 125 pieces in VK 101. The highest weight yield and number of a fraction of certified seeds per 1.0 m2 of sowing area of the maternal lines was obtained when growing VK 101 with a plant density of 50 thousand plants/ha, VK 678, VA 760, and ED 765 – 60 thousand plants/ha, VK 905 – 70 thousand plants/ha. We established the negative dependence of thousand-seed weight on the plant density; as the density increased by 10 thousand plants/ha, 1000-seed weight decreased by 1.4 g in VK 760, by 2.2 g in VK 101, by 3.1–3.2 in ED 765 and VK 678, and by 3.5 g in VK 905.

Association Study of Symbiotic Genes in Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Cultivars Grown in Symbiotic Conditions

In garden pea (Pisum sativum L.), several symbiotic genes are known to control the development of mutualistic symbioses with nodule bacteria (NB) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Here, we studied whether the allelic state of the symbiotic genes was associated with the growth parameters of pea plants under single inoculation with NB and under double inoculation with NB + AMF. Using different statistical methods, we analyzed the dataset obtained from a pot experiment that involved 99 pea cultivars, 10 of which were characterized as having shortened internodes due to the presence of the natural mutation p.A229T in the developmental gene Le. The plant’s habitus strongly influenced most of the studied growth and yield parameters and the effectiveness of the symbiotic interactions under NB and NB + AMF inoculation. Double inoculation had different effects on Le+ (normal) and le− (dwarf) plants with regard to nitrogen and phosphorus content in seeds. Regardless of the Le-status of plants, allelic states of the symbiotic gene LykX encoding the putative receptor of Nod factors (bacterial signal molecules) were shown to be associated with seed number, thousand-seed weight, and pod number at the level of FDR < 0.001, whereas associations of allelic states of the other studied symbiotic genes were less significant.

Response of Mung Bean Varieties (Vigna radiata L.) to Application Rates and Methods of Blended NPS Fertilizer at Humbo

Mung bean is among the important dry-land legumes in the country and in the study area. However, the productivity of the crop is constrained by biotic and abiotic factors, mainly poor soil fertility, lack of adaptable varieties, and peer agronomic practices. Field trial was initiated at Humbo District with the objective of investigating the rate of NPS-blended fertilizer and application methods on overall performance of mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) varieties. The treatments comprised factorial combination of four rates of NPS (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg ha−1), two types of application methods (broadcasting and drilling), and two mung bean varieties (Shewa Robit and N-26) laid out in RCBD with three replications. Analysis of variance revealed that NPS rates and varieties significantly affected phenology and yield components. Application methods affected yield and thousand-seed weight. Two-way interaction of NPS rates with varieties significantly influenced plant height and pod plant−1. Three-way interactions also significantly influenced aboveground dry biomass and grain yield. The greatest dry biomass (4273.7 kg ha−1) and grain yield (1539.2 kg ha−1) were produced by N-26 variety with fertilizer composed of NPS at 150 kg ha−1 using the drill application method. Partial budget analysis also revealed that the highest (ETB 46,934.4 ha−1) net benefit was obtained at 100 kg NPS ha−1 with variety N-26 from the drilled method. Hence, growing N-26 with 100 kg NPS ha−1 applied using the drilling method of fertilizer application was found as the most suitable treatment combination to improve the income of farmers and increase productivity of mung bean.

Prediction of heterosis in the recent rapeseed (Brassica napus) polyploid by pairing parental nucleotide sequences.

The utilization of heterosis is a successful strategy in increasing yield for many crops. However, it consumes tremendous manpower to test the combining ability of the parents in fields. Here, we applied the genomic-selection (GS) strategy and developed models that significantly increase the predictability of heterosis by introducing the concept of a regional parental genetic-similarity index (PGSI) and reducing dimension in the calculation matrix in a machine-learning approach. Overall, PGSI negatively affected grain yield and several other traits but positively influenced the thousand-seed weight of the hybrids. It was found that the C subgenome of rapeseed had a greater impact on heterosis than the A subgenome. We drew maps with overviews of quantitative-trait loci that were responsible for the heterosis (h-QTLs) of various agronomic traits. Identifications and annotations of genes underlying high impacting h-QTLs were provided. Using models that we elaborated, combining abilities between an Ogu-CMS-pool member and a potential restorer can be simulated in silico, sidestepping laborious work, such as testing crosses in fields. The achievements here provide a case of heterosis prediction in polyploid genomes with relatively large genome sizes.

Comprehensive speed breeding: a high-throughput and rapid generation system for long-day crops.

Breeding cycle time largely determines the efficiency of crop genetic improvement. To accelerate the generation progress, Watson et al. (2018) proposed a concept of 'speed breeding (SB)' by extending the photoperiod and increasing the light intensity during plant growth. However, there have been few reports on the successful application of SB in semi-winter and winter long-day crops. Here, we propose a comprehensive speed breeding (CSB) system for the rapid generation and high-throughput culture of long-day crops, which can accomplish 4.5 generations for both semi-winter canola and winter wheat per year. With the aid of extra far-red light, three and 5.5 generations can be accomplished for the typical winter and semi-winter type canola. CSB also exhibits high efficiency in spring type canola, and can achieve up to 6.5 and 5.5 generations with or without extra far-red light, respectively. This strategy is expected to greatly accelerate gene pyramiding of superior alleles, screening of recombinants for QTL mapping and functional genomics research by rapid purification of multiple mutated alleles.

Genetic variation among selected pure lines from Turkish barley landrace 'Tokak' in yield-related and malting quality traits

Aim of study: Improvement of barley cultivars for malting traits suffers from narrow genetic pool in barley for these traits. Landraces are resources that could be used for this purpose. The present study was conducted to determine the variation for malting quality traits within a Turkish barley landrace. Area of study: The study was undertaken in Tokat, a province in Black Sea Region of Turkey. Material and methods: Twenty-five diverse lines, out of 42 unique genotypes previously identified in ‘Tokak’ landrace (PI 470281) based on DNA markers, were evaluated for malting quality traits along with the malting barley cv. ‘Tokak 157/37’ in four field trials. Thousand-seed weight, test weight, grain yield, lodging, malt extract percentage, diastatic power, alpha amylase and malt beta glucanase activities, malt protein and starch contents were determined. Main results: Principal component analysis of malting quality traits revealed that thousand-seed weight, alpha amylase activity, beta glucanase activity and diastatic power were the most discriminatory traits for the lines. As the average of four trials, 15 of the 25 lines evaluated had higher grain yields and 10 of 25 lines had higher malt extract percentages than the standard cultivar ‘Tokak 157/37’. Malt extract was highest in Line 59 in all environments, and this line also had the highest values for beta glucanase activity and starch content. Line 215 had highest values for alpha amylase activity. Lines 59 and 215 clearly had superior malting quality. Research highlights: These lines could harbor novel alleles for these traits to be used in malting barley improvement.

Contribution of Awns to Seed Yield and Seed Shattering in Siberian Wildrye Grown under Irrigated and Rainfed Environments

The seed yield of grass species is greatly dependent on inflorescence morphological traits, starting with spikelets per inflorescence and seeds per spikelet, to kernel size, and then to awns. Previous studies have attempted to estimate the contribution of these traits on the harvested yield of major cereal crops, but little information can be accessed on the influence of awns on seed yield of forage grass species. Siberian wildrye (Elymus sibiricus L.) is a widely important perennial forage grass used to increase forage production in arid and semi-arid grasslands. The grass has long inflorescences with long awns developed at the tip end of the lemmas in the florets. In order to evaluate the effect of awns on Siberian wildrye seed production, awn excision analyses from 10 accessions were performed at flowering stage under irrigated and rainfed regimes. Overall, awn excision reduced thousand-seed weight and seed size under both irrigated and rainfed regimes, which decreased final seed yield per plant. De-awned plants produced significantly more seeds per inflorescence, but spikelets per inflorescence was not influenced by awn excision in either condition. Moreover, histological analyses showed a high degradation of the abscission layer in the awned plants than de-awned ones, and awn excision evidently improved average seed breaking tensile strength (BTS), and thus decreased the degree of seed shattering. In conclusion, the observed significant impact of awn excision on different yield-related traits mirrored the impact of awns on the performance of Siberian wildrye under diverse growing conditions. These results provide useful information for plant breeders, seed producers, and researchers to efficiently improve seed production in Siberian wildrye.

The models of soybean varieties adapted to dry conditions

The article presents the analysis of early-ripening and mid-ripening promising and cultivated soybean varieties that received a comprehensive evaluation under irrigation conditions over the past period (2016-2018) of breeding with the increase in atmospheric drought and dry hot wind days to 77 with a long-term average annual indicator of 47 days with a relative humidity of less than 30%. We developed the scientifically based model of highly productive soybean varieties (2021-2023) with a yield of 2.8-3.8 t/ha and the growth season of 105-122 days. The model is based on the established correlations of the main morphological and biological characteristics with the grain productivity of irrigated sowing. The model of soybean varieties reflects characteristics that ensure the responsiveness of plants to watering and resistance to prolonged manifestations of atmospheric drought: a long growth season, low linear plant growth, significant leaf surface area, photosynthetic potential, dry biomass yield, number of plants before harvesting, thousand-seed weight, long-term duration of the “flowering-beans filling” period. The model is complemented by the indicators of high protein and fat content in seeds, as well as their yield from a unit of harvesting area.

Co-inoculation With Rhizobacteria and Mycorrhizae Can Improve Wheat/Faba Bean Intercrop Performance Under Field Conditions

Current challenges of climate changes and demographic expansion have imposed increasing awareness about innovation in sustainable agricultural practices. Farming practices like intercropping have many benefits in terms of nutrient use and yield stability. Improving the performance of intercropping systems by the application of beneficial microorganisms (rhizobacteria and/or mycorrhizae) constitutes a promising strategy. In this regard, this study aimed to assess the effect of inoculation with beneficial microorganisms on wheat as monocrop or intercrop with faba bean, using four inoculation treatments: (i) inoculation with rhizobacteria, (ii) inoculation with mycorrhizae, (iii) inoculation with the rhizobacteria-mycorrhizae consortium, and (iv) a control treatment consisting of uninoculated plants. Results showed that rhizobacteria-mycorrhizae co-inoculation under intercropping system improved plant dry weight and spike weight of wheat by 375 and 162%, respectively, compared with uninoculated intercropped wheat. The thousand-seed weight was improved by 86% in wheat intercropped and inoculated with the rhizobacteria-mycorrhizae consortium. Furthermore, higher P and N concentrations were observed in shoots and spikes of wheat intercropped with faba bean, and this increase was also observed in response to inoculation with the rhizobacteria-mycorrhizae consortium in terms of P in shoots and spikes (by 74 and 18%) of intercropped wheat. In addition, intercropped wheat has significantly accumulated sugar in the seeds for all inoculated treatments (except inoculation with mycorrhizae). Overall, these findings revealed that intercropping and inoculation yielded better, suggesting that intercropping combined with the application of beneficial microorganisms, such as rhizobacteria and mycorrhizae, have the potential to improve overall crop yield.

Appraisal of the Sesame Production Opportunities and Constraints, and Farmer-Preferred Varieties and Traits, in Eastern and Southwestern Ethiopia

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an important oilseed crop with well-developed value chains. It is Ethiopia’s most valuable export commodity after coffee (Coffea arabica L.), contributing to socioeconomic development. The productivity of the crop is low and stagnant in Ethiopia and other major sesame growing regions in sub-Saharan Africa (<0.6 t/ha) due to a multitude of production constraints. The objective of this study was to document sesame production opportunities and constraints, as well as farmer- and market-preferred varieties and traits, in eastern and southwestern Ethiopia as a guide for large-scale production and breeding. A participatory rural appraisal (PRA) study was conducted in two selected sesame growing regions and four districts in Ethiopia. Data were collected from 160 and 46 sesame farmers through semistructured questionnaires and focus group discussions. Sesame is grown by all respondent farmers in the study areas for food and as a source of cash. Most respondent farmers (56%) reported cultivating sesame using seeds of unknown varieties often sourced from the informal seed sector. About 83% of the respondents reported lack of access to improved seeds as the most important production constraint, followed by low yield gains from cultivating the existing varieties (reported by 73.8% of respondents), diseases (69.4%), and low market price (68.8%). Other production constraints included insect pests (59.4%), lack of market information (55%), and high cost of seed (50%). The above constraints were attributed to the absence of a dedicated breeding programme, lack of a formal seed sector, poor extension services, and underdeveloped pre- and postharvest infrastructures. The most important market-preferred traits of sesame included true-to-type seed (reported by 36.3% of respondents), white seed colour (28.8%), and high seed oil content (23.8%). The vital farmer-preferred attributes included reasonable market price (reported by 11.3% of respondents), resistance to crop diseases (10.9%), drought tolerance (10.3%), resistance to crop insect pests (9.2%), higher seed yield (8.9%), higher thousand-seed weight (7.2%), higher oil content (6.3%), white seed colour (6.1%), early maturity (6.1%), and good oil qualities such as aroma and taste (5.7%). Therefore, there is a need for a dedicated sesame genetic improvement programme by integrating the above key production constraints and market- and farmer-preferred traits to develop and deploy new generation varieties to enhance the production, productivity, and adoption of sesame cultivars in Ethiopia.

Use of cover crops in Oxisol and its effects on yield and soybean oil content

In the no-tillage system, soils generally exhibit some degree of compaction that limits agricultural production. In this scenario, the use of soil cover plants is one of the alternatives capable of improving the structural quality of the soil and increasing the productivity of crops, such as soybeans. In the context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of plant cover species and management systems on the improvement of the physical characteristics of a Oxisol and its effects on the production and content of soybean oil. The treatments consisted of control, no-tillage system with gypsum, chiseling system, and 12 treatments with soil cover species composed of 6 summer species and 6 winter species, in completely randomized design. Soil samples were collected in the 0-0.1; 0.1-0.2 and 0.2-0.3 m layers for determination of bulk density (BD), total porosity (TP), microporosity, macroporosity, and saturated soil hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) in 2014, 2017, 2018. Grain yield, oil content, thousand-seed weight, mean plant height and number of plants per meter were evaluated in soybean crop. Mean treatment values were compared by Tukey’s test at 5% significance. Five months after the chiseling system, there was no influence on BD. The treatments did not present differences six months after the application of gypsum. BD, TP, micro and macroporosity and Ksat were the variables most influenced by the periods of the year in the three soil layers. Grain yield, oil content, thousand-seed weight, plant height and number of plants per meter were influenced by the seasons.

Selection criteria for yield in safflower (Charthamus tinctorius L.) genotypes under rainfed conditions

This research was conducted on 20 safflower genotypes and lasted 3 years (2014-2016) in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. The experiments were conducted in randomized block design with four replications. The relationships among yield 9 other traits in safflower genotypes were investigated. As the average of three years, the greatest seed yield (SY) was obtained from genotype G5 (PI 451952) with 3156.3 kg·ha-1. It was followed by genotypes G4 (PI 525458) and G9 (PI 306686) with 3013.2 and 2977.1 kg·ha-1, respectively. Among the standard cultivars, the greatest seed yield (2750.4 kg·ha-1) was obtained from the Dinçer cultivar. The greatest oil content (OC) was obtained from the genotype G11 (PI 537665) with 36.5%. It was followed by the genotypes G9 (PI 306686) (35.4%), G6 (PI 537598) (35.4%) and G14 (PI 560169) (35.3%). Oil contents varied between 29.1-36.5%. Yield-trait relationships were assessed through both correlation analysis and GT (Genotype by Trait) biplot analysis. Based on the results of the two approaches, plant height (PH), number of branches (NB), number of heads (NH) and thousand-seed weight (TSW) were identified as the most significant selection criteria for yield from safflower. The combined use of correlation and biplot analysis in the assessment of relationships among the traits improved the chance for success.

Genome-wide association study for candidate genes controlling seed yield and its components in rapeseed (Brassica napus subsp. napus).

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-021-01060-9.

Development of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Populations for Drought Tolerance and Improved Biomass Allocation Through Ethyl Methanesulphonate Mutagenesis

The narrow genetic variation for drought adaptive traits and biomass allocation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) presents a major bottleneck for breeding. Induced mutagenesis creates genetic variation and complements conventional breeding for drought tolerance improvement. The aims of this study were to induce mutations in wheat genotype LM43 using three ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) treatments, and to develop mutant populations for improving drought tolerance, biomass allocation and agronomic performance. Experiments were conducted under controlled and field conditions at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Data on percentage germination (%G), days to 90% maturity (DTM), plant height (PH), shoot biomass (SB), root biomass (RB), root-shoot ratio (RSR), spike length (SL), spikelet count (SPS), thousand seed weight (TSW), and grain yield (GY) were collected from M1 to M4 generations. Significant (p < 0.001) differences among individuals and generations were observed for all the assessed traits and the generation × population interaction effects were significant (p < 0.01) for SB, TSW, and GY due to EMS treatments. The differences among the generations showed that the mutagenic effects were cumulative and exhibited clear segregations in subsequent generations. The new selections with unique biomass allocation, drought response and agronomic performance will be useful for wheat improvement programs.