Water Stress Alters Physiological, Spectral, and Agronomic Indexes of Wheat Genotypes

Cássio Jardim Tavares; Walter Quadros Ribeiro Junior; Maria Lucrécia Gerosa Ramos; Lucas Felisberto Pereira; Onno Muller; Raphael Augusto das Chagas Noqueli Casari; Carlos Antonio Ferreira de Sousa; Anderson Rodrigo da Silva

doi:10.3390/plants12203571

Water Stress Alters Physiological, Spectral, and Agronomic Indexes of Wheat Genotypes

Plants (Basel). 2023 Oct 14;12(20):3571. doi: 10.3390/plants12203571.

Authors

Cássio Jardim Tavares¹, Walter Quadros Ribeiro Junior², Maria Lucrécia Gerosa Ramos³, Lucas Felisberto Pereira⁴, Onno Muller⁵, Raphael Augusto das Chagas Noqueli Casari⁶, Carlos Antonio Ferreira de Sousa⁷, Anderson Rodrigo da Silva⁸

Affiliations

¹ Federal Institute Goiano, Campus Cristalina (IF Goiano), Cristalina 73850-000, GO, Brazil.
² Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation-(EMBRAPA Cerrados), Planaltina 73310-970, DF, Brazil.
³ Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine, University of Brasília, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil.
⁴ Federal Institute Goiano, Campus Posse (IF Goiano), Posse 73900-000, GO, Brazil.
⁵ Institute for Bio-and Geosciences, IBG-2: Plant Sciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52428 Jülich, Germany.
⁶ Institute of Geociences, University of Brasília, Brasília 70910970, DF, Brazil.
⁷ Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation-(EMBRAPA Meio-Norte), Teresina 64008-780, PI, Brazil.
⁸ Federal Institute Goiano, Campus Urutaí (IF Goiano), Urutaí 75790-000, GO, Brazil.

Abstract

Selecting drought-tolerant and more water-efficient wheat genotypes is a research priority, specifically in regions with irregular rainfall or areas where climate change is expected to result in reduced water availability. The objective of this work was to use high-throughput measurements with morphophysiological traits to characterize wheat genotypes in relation to water stress. Field experiments were conducted from May to September 2018 and 2019, using a sprinkler bar irrigation system to control water availability to eighteen wheat genotypes: BRS 254; BRS 264; CPAC 01019; CPAC 01047; CPAC 07258; CPAC 08318; CPAC 9110; BRS 394 (irrigated biotypes), and Aliança; BR 18_Terena; BRS 404; MGS Brilhante; PF 020037; PF 020062; PF 120337; PF 100368; PF 080492; and TBIO Sintonia (rainfed biotypes). The water regimes varied from 22 to 100% of the crop evapotranspiration replacement. Water stress negatively affected gas exchange, vegetation indices, and grain yield. High throughput variables TCARI, NDVI, OSAVI, SAVI, PRI, NDRE, and GNDVI had higher yield and morphophysiological measurement correlations. The drought resistance index indicated that genotypes Aliança, BRS 254, BRS 404, CPAC 01019, PF 020062, and PF 080492 were more drought tolerant.

Keywords: Cerrado; Triticum aestivum; automation; drought tolerance; gas exchange; high throughput.

Grants and funding

This paper was supported by the research group of Embrapa Cerrados, the University of Brasília, the Institute for Bio-and Geosciences (Julich), the Federal Institute Goiano, and this last institution released and supported the doctoral-level training of the first author.