The high affinity nitrate transport system is a potential target for improving nitrogen use efficiency of bread wheat growing either under optimal or limiting nitrate concentration. Nitrate uptake is one of the most important traits to take into account to improve nitrogen use efficiency in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In this study, we aimed to gain an insight into the regulation of NO3- -uptake and translocation systems in two contrasting wheat genotypes [K9107(K9) vs. Choti Lerma (CL)]. Different conditions, such as NO3--uptake rates, soil-types, N-free solid external media, and external NO3- levels at the seedling stage, were considered. We also studied the contribution of homeolog expression of five genes encoding two nitrate transporters in the root tissue, along with their overall transcript expression levels relative to specific external nitrate availability. We observed that K9107 had a higher 15N influx than Choti Lerma under both limiting as well as optimum external N conditions in vermiculite-perlite (i.e., N-free solid) medium, with the improved translocation efficiency in Choti Lerma. However, in different soil types, different levels of 15N-enrichment in both the genotypes were found. Our results also demonstrated that the partitioning of dry matter in root and shoot was different under these growing conditions. Moreover, K9107 showed significantly higher relative expression of TaNRT2.1 at the lowest and TaNPF6.1 and TaNPF6.2 at the highest external nitrate concentrations. We also observed genotype-specific and nitrate starvation-dependent homeolog expression bias in all five nitrate transporter genes. Our data suggest that K9107 had a higher NO3- influx capacity, involving different nitrate transporters, than Choti Lerma at the seedling stage.
Keywords: Choti Lerma; K9107; Nitrogen uptake efficiency; Nitrogen use efficiency; TaNAR2; TaNRT1; TaNRT2; Triticum aestivum.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.