Nitrogen partitioning and remobilization in relation to leaf senescence, grain yield and grain nitrogen concentration in wheat cultivars

Gaju, Oorbessy; Allard, Vincent; Martre, Pierre; Le Gouis, Jacques; Moreau, Delphine; Bogard, Matthieu; Hubbart, Stella; Foulkes, John

Abstract

Our objective was to investigate the determinants of genetic variation in N accumulation, N partitioning and N remobilization to the grain post-flowering and associations with flag-leaf senescence, grain yield and grain N% in 16 wheat cultivars grown under high N (HN) and low N (LN) conditions in the UK and France. Overall, cultivars ranged in leaf lamina N accumulation at anthesis from 5.32 to 8.03 g N m?2 at HN and from 2.69 to 3.62 g N m?2 at LN, and for the stem-and leaf-sheath from 5.45 to 7.25 g N m?2 at HN and from 2.55 to 3.41 g N m?2 at LN (P < 0.001). Cultivars ranged in N partitioning index (proportion of above-ground N in the crop component) at anthesis for the leaf lamina from 0.37 to 0.42 at HN and 0.34 to 0.40 at LN; and for the stem-and leaf-sheath from 0.39 to 0.43 at HN and from 0.35 to 0.41 at LN (P < 0.001). The amount of leaf lamina N remobilized post-anthesis was negatively associated with the duration of post-anthesis flag-leaf senescence amongst cultivars in all experiments under HN. In general, it was difficult to separate genetic differences in lamina N remobilization from those in lamina N accumulation at anthesis. Genetic variation in grain yield and grain N% (through N dilution effects) appeared to be mainly influenced by pre-anthesis N accumulation rather than post-anthesis N remobilization under high N conditions and under milder N stress (Sutton Bonington LN). Where N stress was increased (Clermont Ferrand LN), there was some evidence that lamina N remobilization was a determinant of genetic variation in grain N% although not of grain yield. Our results suggested that selection for lamina N accumulation at anthesis and lamina N remobilization post-anthesis may have value in breeding programmes aimed at optimizing senescence duration and improving grain yield, N-use efficiency and grain N% of wheat.

Citation

Gaju, O., Allard, V., Martre, P., Le Gouis, J., Moreau, D., Bogard, M., Hubbart, S., & Foulkes, J. (2014). Nitrogen partitioning and remobilization in relation to leaf senescence, grain yield and grain nitrogen concentration in wheat cultivars. Field Crops Research, 155, 213-223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2013.09.003

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 9, 2013
• Online Publication Date: Oct 9, 2013
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2014
• Deposit Date: Sep 12, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 17, 2020
• Journal: Field Crops Research
• Print ISSN: 0378-4290
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 155
• Pages: 213-223
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2013.09.003
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1115720
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378429013003092?via%3Dihub