Characterising variation in wheat traits under hostile soil conditions in India

PLoS One. 2017 Jun 12;12(6):e0179208. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179208. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Intensive crop breeding has increased wheat yields and production in India. Wheat improvement in India typically involves selecting yield and component traits under non-hostile soil conditions at regional scales. The aim of this study is to quantify G*E interactions on yield and component traits to further explore site-specific trait selection for hostile soils. Field experiments were conducted at six sites (pH range 4.5-9.5) in 2013-14 and 2014-15, in three agro-climatic regions of India. At each site, yield and component traits were measured on 36 genotypes, representing elite varieties from a wide genetic background developed for different regions. Mean grain yields ranged from 1.0 to 5.5 t ha-1 at hostile and non-hostile sites, respectively. Site (E) had the largest effect on yield and component traits, however, interactions between genotype and site (G*E) affected most traits to a greater extent than genotype alone. Within each agro-climatic region, yield and component traits correlated positively between hostile and non-hostile sites. However, some genotypes performed better under hostile soils, with site-specific relationships between yield and component traits, which supports the value of ongoing site-specific selection activities.

MeSH terms

  • Breeding
  • Edible Grain / genetics
  • Genotype
  • India
  • Phenotype
  • Quantitative Trait, Heritable*
  • Seasons
  • Seeds / genetics
  • Soil*
  • Stress, Physiological*
  • Triticum / genetics*

Substances

  • Soil

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Sustainable Crop Production Research for International Development (SCPRID) scheme award to IK (reference BB/J011827/1). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.