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., …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