COMPONENTS OF PHENOTYPIC VARIANCE AND HERITABILITY OF EARLY VIGOUR TRAITS OF BREAD WHEAT UNDER CONTRASTING WATER REGIMES
Keywords:
Triticum aestivum L., drought stress, root system architecture, shoot traits, seedlings, heritability in a broad sense, components of phenotypic variance.
Abstract
Exploring drought-tolerance potential and phenotypic plasticity at early stages of development in root system architecture could be crucial in regard to breeding for drought resistance and for selecting wheat ideotypes under climate change. A total of 11 genotypes from the collection of 101 bread wheat genotypes, originating from Serbia and 16 different countries of the world, with desirable traits in terms of increased tolerance to drought, were chosen for parents and eight crosses were performed. Genotypes from P and F1 generations were grown in hydroponic cultivation under polyethylene glycol 6000-induced osmotic stress. The objective of this research was to assess components of phenotypic variance and heritability in a broad sense of early vigour traits (nine root and shoot traits) of bread wheat genotypes in induced drought stress vs. control, in order to choose appropriate traits for breeding for drought resistance. The effect of the genotype was higher on the variability of the tested root traits (46.6%), compared to the tested shoot traits (25.5%). meaning that the root traits can be taken as a more reliable criterion for selection for drought tolerance compared to the investigated shoot traits. Heritability in a broad sense was high (> 82%) for most of the tested traits (primary root length, number of seminal roots, total seminal root length, angle of seminal roots, shoot length, the ratio root dry mass to shoot dry mass), with low genotype × environment interaction (< 20% of total variation) and breeding for drought tolerance should be focused on these traits.
References
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Ayalew, H., Liu, H., Börner, A., Kobiljski, B., Liu, C., & Yan, G. (2018). Genome-wide association mapping of major root length QTLs under PEG induced water stress in wheat. Frontiers in Plant Science, 9, 1759.
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Bayoumi, T.Y., Eid, M.H., & Metwali, E.M. (2008). Application of physiological and biochemical indices as a screening technique for drought tolerance in wheat genotypes. African Journal of Biotechnology, 7 (14), 2341-2352.
Beyer, S., Daba, S., Tyagi, P., Bockelman, H., Brown-Guedira, G., I.W.G.S.C., & Mohammadi, M. (2019). Loci and candidate genes controlling root traits in wheat seedlings-a wheat root GWAS. Functional & Integrative Genomics, 19, 91-107.
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Chen, Y., Palta, J., Prasad, P.V.V., & Siddique, K.H.M. (2020). Phenotypic variability in bread wheat root systems at the early vegetative stage. BMC Plant Biology, 20 (1), 185.
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Colombo, M., Roumet, P., Salon, C., Jeudy, C., Lamboeuf, M., Lafarge, S., Dumas, A.V., Dubreuil, P., Ngo, W., Derepas, B., Beauchêne, K., Allard, V., Le Gouis, J., & Rincent, R. (2022). Genetic analysis of platform-phenotyped root system architecture of bread and durum wheat in relation to agronomic traits. Frontiers in Plant Science, 25 (13), 853601.
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Dhanda, S.S, Sethi, G.S., & Behl, R.K. (2004). Indices of drought tolerance in wheat genotypes at early stages of plant growth. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science, 190 (1), 6-12.
Falconer, D.S. (1981). Introduction to quantitative genetics. London and New York: Longman.
Hameed, A., Goher, M., & Iqubal, N. (2010). Evaluation of seedling survivability and growth response as selection criteria for breeding drought tolerance in wheat. Cereal Research Communications, 38 (2), 193-202.
Hohn, C.E., & Bektas, H. (2020). Genetic mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with seminal root angle and number in three populations of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with common parents. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter, 38, 572-585.
Jain, N., Singh, G.P., Yadav, R., Pandey, R., Ramya, P., Shine, M.B., Pandey, V.C., Rai, N., Jha, J., & Prabhu, K.V. (2014). Root trait characteristics and genotypic response in wheat under different water regimes. Cereal Research Communications, 42 (3), 426-438.
Li, X., Ingvordsen, C.H., Weiss, M., Rebetzke, G.J., Condon, A.G., James, R.A., & Richards, R.A. (2019). Deeper roots associated with cooler canopies higher normalized difference vegetation index, and greater yield in three wheat populations grown on stored soil water. Journal of Experimental Botany, 70, 4963-4974.
Manschadi, A.M., Christopher, J., deVoil, P., & Hammer, G.L. (2006). The role of root architectural traits in adaptation of wheat to water-limited environments. Functional Plant Biology, 33, 823-837.
Manschadi, A.M., Hammer, G.L., Christopher, J.T., & deVoil, P. (2008). Genotypic variation in seedling root architectural traits and implications for drought adaptation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Plant and Soil, 303, 115-129.
Minitab, (2021). Statistical Software, version 16. Minitab Incorporation. Retrieved January 11, 2020, from https://www.minitab.com/en-us/products/minitab/
Moore, C., & Rebetzke, G.J. (2015). Genomic regions for embryo size and early vigour in multiple wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) populations. Agronomy, 5, 152.
Ndukauba, J., Nwofia, G.E., Okocha, P.I., & Ene-Obong, E.E. (2015). Variability in egusi-melon genotypes (Citrullus lanatus [Thumb] Matsum and Nakai) in derived savannah environment in South-Eastern Nigeria. International Journal of Plant Research, 5 (1), 19-26.
Rajamanickam, V., Vinod, K.K., Vengavasi, K., Kumar, T., Chinnusamy, V., & Pandey, R. (2024). Root architectural adaptations to phosphorus deficiency: unraveling genotypic variability in wheat seedlings. Agriculture, 14 (3), 447.
Rasband, W.S. (2020). ImageJ. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved on January 01, 2020, from https://imagej.nih.gov/ij/
Rauf, M., Munir, M.M., Hassan, M., Ahmad, M., & Afzal, M. (2007). Performance of wheat genotypes under osmotic stress at germination and early seedling growth stage. African Journal of Biotechology, 6, 971-975.
Rebetzke, G.J., Zhang, H., Ingvordsen, C.H., Condon, A.G., Rich, S.M., & Ellis, M.H. (2022). Genotypic variation and covariation in wheat seedling seminal root architecture and grain yield under field conditions. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 135 (9), 3247-3264.
Reddy, V.R.P., Aski, M.S., Mishra, G.P., Dikshit, H.K., Singh, A., Pandey, R., Singh, M.P., Gayacharan, Ramtekey, V., Priti, Rai, N., & Nair, R.M. (2020). Genetic variation for root architectural traits in response to phosphorus deficiency in mungbean at the seedling stage. PLoS One, 15 (6), e0221008.
Rogers, E.D., & Benfey, P.N. (2015). Regulation of plant root system architecture: implications for crop advancement. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 32, 93-98.
Roselló, M., Royo, C., Sanchez-Garcia, M., & Soriano, J.M. (2019). Genetic dissection of the seminal root system architecture in mediterranean durum wheat landraces by genome-wide association study. Agronomy, 9, 364.
Rossi, R., Bochicchio, R., Labella, R., Amato, M., & De Vita, P. (2024). Phenotyping seedling root biometry of two contrasting bread wheat cultivars under nutrient deficiency and drought stress. Agronomy, 14, 775.
Sanguineti, M.C., Li, S., Maccaferri, M., Corneti, S., Rotondo, F., Chiari, T., & Tuberosa, R. (2007). Genetics dissection of seminal root architecture in elite durum wheat germplasm. Annals of Applied Biology, 151, 291-305.
Shahbazi, H., Bihamta, M.R., Taeb, M., & Darvish, F. (2012). Germination characters of wheat under osmotic stress: Heritability and relation with drought tolerance. International Journal of Agriculture: Research and Review, 2, 689-698.
Zhao, Z., Rebetzke, G.J., Zheng, B., Chapman, S.C., & Wang, E. (2019). Modelling impact of early vigour on wheat yield in dryland regions. Journal of Experimental Botany, 70 (9), 2535-2548.
Afzal, F., Reddy, B., Gul, A., Khalid, M., Subhani, A., Shazadi, K., & Rasheed, A. (2017). Physiological, biochemical and agronomic traits associated with drought tolerance in a synthetic-derived wheat diversity panel. Crop and Pasture Science, 68 (3), 213-224.
Ahmed, K., Shabbir, G., & Ahmed, M. (2025). Exploring drought tolerance for germination traits of diverse wheat genotypes at seedling stage: a multivariate analysis approach. BMC Plant Biology, 25, 390.
Amare, A., Mekbib, F., Tadesse, W., & Tesfaye, K. (2020). Genotype x environmental interaction and stability of drought tolerant bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes in Ethiopia. International Journal of research Studies in Agricultural Sciences, 6 (3), 26-35.
Ayalew, H., Liu, H., Börner, A., Kobiljski, B., Liu, C., & Yan, G. (2018). Genome-wide association mapping of major root length QTLs under PEG induced water stress in wheat. Frontiers in Plant Science, 9, 1759.
Baloch, M.J., Dunwell, J., Khakwani, A.A., Dennett, M., Jatoi, W.A., & Channa, S.A. (2012). Assessment of wheat cultivars for drought tolerance via osmotic stress imposed at early seedling growth stages. Journal of Agricultural Research, 50, 299-310.
Bayoumi, T.Y., Eid, M.H., & Metwali, E.M. (2008). Application of physiological and biochemical indices as a screening technique for drought tolerance in wheat genotypes. African Journal of Biotechnology, 7 (14), 2341-2352.
Beyer, S., Daba, S., Tyagi, P., Bockelman, H., Brown-Guedira, G., I.W.G.S.C., & Mohammadi, M. (2019). Loci and candidate genes controlling root traits in wheat seedlings-a wheat root GWAS. Functional & Integrative Genomics, 19, 91-107.
Bhandari, R., Paudel, H., Nyaupane, S., & Poudel, M.R. (2024). Climate resilient breeding for high yields and stable wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) lines under irrigated and abiotic stress environments, Plant Stress, 11, 100352.
Blažić, M., Dodig, D., Kandić, V., Đokić, D., & Živanović, T. (2021). Genotypic variability of root and shoot traits of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) at seedling stage. Genetika-Belgrade, 53, 687-702.
Blažić, M., Dodig, D., Kandić, V., Branković, G., & Živanović, T. (2024). The impact of PEG-induced drought stress on early vigour traits of bread wheat. New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/01140671.2024.2304766
Boudiar, R., Casas, A.M., Gioia, T., Fiorani, F., Nagel, K.A., & Igartua, E. (2020). Effects of low water awailability on root placement and shoot development in landraces and modern barley cultivars. Agronomy, 10 (1), 134.
Canè, M.A., Maccaferri, M., Nazemi, G., Salvi, S., Francia, R., Colalongo, C., & Tuberosa, R. (2014). Association mapping for root architectural traits in durum wheat seedlings as related to agronomic performance. Molecular Breeding, 34, 1629-1645.
Chen, Y., Palta, J., Prasad, P.V.V., & Siddique, K.H.M. (2020). Phenotypic variability in bread wheat root systems at the early vegetative stage. BMC Plant Biology, 20 (1), 185.
Christopher, J., Christopher, M., Jennings, R., Jones, S., Fletcher, S., Borrel, A., Manschadi, A.M., Jordan, D., Mace, E., & Hammer, G. (2013). QTL for root angle and number in a population developed from bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with contrasting adaptation to water-limited environments. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 126, 1563-1574.
Colombo, M., Roumet, P., Salon, C., Jeudy, C., Lamboeuf, M., Lafarge, S., Dumas, A.V., Dubreuil, P., Ngo, W., Derepas, B., Beauchêne, K., Allard, V., Le Gouis, J., & Rincent, R. (2022). Genetic analysis of platform-phenotyped root system architecture of bread and durum wheat in relation to agronomic traits. Frontiers in Plant Science, 25 (13), 853601.
Cooper, M., & Byth, D.E. (1996). Understanding plant adaptation to achieve systematic applied crop improvement-a fundamental challenge. In M. Cooper & G.L. Hammer (Eds.), Plant adaptation and crop improvement. (pp. 5-23). Wallingford: CABI Publishing.
Dhanda, S.S, Sethi, G.S., & Behl, R.K. (2004). Indices of drought tolerance in wheat genotypes at early stages of plant growth. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science, 190 (1), 6-12.
Falconer, D.S. (1981). Introduction to quantitative genetics. London and New York: Longman.
Hameed, A., Goher, M., & Iqubal, N. (2010). Evaluation of seedling survivability and growth response as selection criteria for breeding drought tolerance in wheat. Cereal Research Communications, 38 (2), 193-202.
Hohn, C.E., & Bektas, H. (2020). Genetic mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with seminal root angle and number in three populations of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with common parents. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter, 38, 572-585.
Jain, N., Singh, G.P., Yadav, R., Pandey, R., Ramya, P., Shine, M.B., Pandey, V.C., Rai, N., Jha, J., & Prabhu, K.V. (2014). Root trait characteristics and genotypic response in wheat under different water regimes. Cereal Research Communications, 42 (3), 426-438.
Li, X., Ingvordsen, C.H., Weiss, M., Rebetzke, G.J., Condon, A.G., James, R.A., & Richards, R.A. (2019). Deeper roots associated with cooler canopies higher normalized difference vegetation index, and greater yield in three wheat populations grown on stored soil water. Journal of Experimental Botany, 70, 4963-4974.
Manschadi, A.M., Christopher, J., deVoil, P., & Hammer, G.L. (2006). The role of root architectural traits in adaptation of wheat to water-limited environments. Functional Plant Biology, 33, 823-837.
Manschadi, A.M., Hammer, G.L., Christopher, J.T., & deVoil, P. (2008). Genotypic variation in seedling root architectural traits and implications for drought adaptation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Plant and Soil, 303, 115-129.
Minitab, (2021). Statistical Software, version 16. Minitab Incorporation. Retrieved January 11, 2020, from https://www.minitab.com/en-us/products/minitab/
Moore, C., & Rebetzke, G.J. (2015). Genomic regions for embryo size and early vigour in multiple wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) populations. Agronomy, 5, 152.
Ndukauba, J., Nwofia, G.E., Okocha, P.I., & Ene-Obong, E.E. (2015). Variability in egusi-melon genotypes (Citrullus lanatus [Thumb] Matsum and Nakai) in derived savannah environment in South-Eastern Nigeria. International Journal of Plant Research, 5 (1), 19-26.
Rajamanickam, V., Vinod, K.K., Vengavasi, K., Kumar, T., Chinnusamy, V., & Pandey, R. (2024). Root architectural adaptations to phosphorus deficiency: unraveling genotypic variability in wheat seedlings. Agriculture, 14 (3), 447.
Rasband, W.S. (2020). ImageJ. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved on January 01, 2020, from https://imagej.nih.gov/ij/
Rauf, M., Munir, M.M., Hassan, M., Ahmad, M., & Afzal, M. (2007). Performance of wheat genotypes under osmotic stress at germination and early seedling growth stage. African Journal of Biotechology, 6, 971-975.
Rebetzke, G.J., Zhang, H., Ingvordsen, C.H., Condon, A.G., Rich, S.M., & Ellis, M.H. (2022). Genotypic variation and covariation in wheat seedling seminal root architecture and grain yield under field conditions. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 135 (9), 3247-3264.
Reddy, V.R.P., Aski, M.S., Mishra, G.P., Dikshit, H.K., Singh, A., Pandey, R., Singh, M.P., Gayacharan, Ramtekey, V., Priti, Rai, N., & Nair, R.M. (2020). Genetic variation for root architectural traits in response to phosphorus deficiency in mungbean at the seedling stage. PLoS One, 15 (6), e0221008.
Rogers, E.D., & Benfey, P.N. (2015). Regulation of plant root system architecture: implications for crop advancement. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 32, 93-98.
Roselló, M., Royo, C., Sanchez-Garcia, M., & Soriano, J.M. (2019). Genetic dissection of the seminal root system architecture in mediterranean durum wheat landraces by genome-wide association study. Agronomy, 9, 364.
Rossi, R., Bochicchio, R., Labella, R., Amato, M., & De Vita, P. (2024). Phenotyping seedling root biometry of two contrasting bread wheat cultivars under nutrient deficiency and drought stress. Agronomy, 14, 775.
Sanguineti, M.C., Li, S., Maccaferri, M., Corneti, S., Rotondo, F., Chiari, T., & Tuberosa, R. (2007). Genetics dissection of seminal root architecture in elite durum wheat germplasm. Annals of Applied Biology, 151, 291-305.
Shahbazi, H., Bihamta, M.R., Taeb, M., & Darvish, F. (2012). Germination characters of wheat under osmotic stress: Heritability and relation with drought tolerance. International Journal of Agriculture: Research and Review, 2, 689-698.
Zhao, Z., Rebetzke, G.J., Zheng, B., Chapman, S.C., & Wang, E. (2019). Modelling impact of early vigour on wheat yield in dryland regions. Journal of Experimental Botany, 70 (9), 2535-2548.
Published
2025/10/03
Section
Original Scientific Paper