Accurate staging of reproduction development in Cadenza wheat by non-destructive spike analysis

Fern�ndez-G�mez, Jos�; Talle, Behzad; Tidy, Alison; Wilson, Zoe A

Abstract

© 2020 The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. Wheat is one of the most important crops in the world; however, loss of genetic variability and abiotic stress caused by variable climatic conditions threaten future productivity. Reproduction is critical for wheat yield; however, pollen development is amongst the developmental stages most sensitive to stresses such as heat, cold, or drought. A better understanding of how anther and pollen development is regulated is needed to help produce more resilient crops and ensure future yield increases. However, in cereals such as wheat, barley, and rice, flowers form within the developing pseudostem and therefore accurate staging of floral materials is extremely challenging. This makes detailed phenotypic and molecular analysis of floral development very difficult, particularly when limited plant material is available, for example with mutant or transgenic lines. Here we present an accurate approach to overcome this problem, by non-destructive staging of reproduction development in Cadenza, the widely used spring wheat research variety. This uses a double-scale system whereby anther and pollen development can be predicted in relation to spike size and spike position within the pseudostem. This system provides an easy, reproducible method that facilitates accurate sampling and analysis of floral materials, to enable anther and pollen developmental research.

Citation

Fernández-Gómez, J., Talle, B., Tidy, A., & Wilson, Z. A. (2020). Accurate staging of reproduction development in Cadenza wheat by non-destructive spike analysis. Journal of Experimental Botany, 71(12), 3475-3484. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eraa156

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 6, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Apr 7, 2020
• Publication Date: Jun 22, 2020
• Deposit Date: Apr 6, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 8, 2021
• Journal: Journal of Experimental Botany
• Print ISSN: 0022-0957
• Electronic ISSN: 1460-2431
• Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 71
• Issue: 12
• Pages: 3475-3484
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eraa156
• Keywords: barley; growth staging; anther; pollen development; Zadoks stage; Last Flag Elongation
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4262976
• Publisher URL: https://academic.oup.com/jxb/article/doi/10.1093/jxb/eraa156/5817055