Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Physiology of Determination of Major Wheat Yield Components

  • Conference paper
Wheat Production in Stressed Environments

Part of the book series: Developments in Plant Breeding ((DIPB,volume 12))

Abstract

I have focused this presentation, within the 7th International Wheat Conference, in the determination of individual grain weight and grain number per unit land area. As the negative relationship between average grain weight and grain number per m2 seems largely independent of strong competition, understanding the physiological bases of the determination of each of these major components may be important to design strategies to increase yield through either breeding or management. In this presentation I have paid attention to some of the well established and some of the new advances on the physiology of these yield components. Finally I have discussed on how the new advances in the physiology of grain number per m2 may be useful in practical breeding

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Abbate PE, Andrade FH, Culot JP (1995) The effects of radiation and nitrogen on number of grains in wheat. J Agr Sci (Cambridge) 124:351–360

    Google Scholar 

  • Abbate PE, Andrade FH, Culot JP, Brindraban PS (1997) Grain yield in wheat: effects of radiation during spike growth period. Field Crop Res 54:245–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abeledo LG, Calderini DF, Slafer GA (2001) Genetic improvement of barley yield potential and its physiological determinants in Argentina (1944–1998). Euphytica 130:325–334

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Acreche M, Slafer GA (2006) Grain weight response to increases in number of grains in wheat in a Mediterranean area. Field Crop Res 98:52–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Araus JL, Slafer GA, Reynolds MP, Royo C (2004) Physiology of yield and adaptation in wheat and barley breeding. In: Nguyen HT, Blum A (eds) Physiology and biotechnology integration for plant breeding. Marcel Dekker, Inc, New York, pp 1–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Austin RB (1993) Augmenting yield-based selection. In: Bosemark NO, Romagosa I (eds) Plant breeding: principles and prospects. Chapman and Hall,, Hayward MD, pp 391–405

    Google Scholar 

  • Borras L, Slafer GA, Otegui ME (2004) Seed dry weight response to source-sink manipulations in wheat, maize and soybean. A quantitative reappraisal. Field Crop Res 86:131–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calderini DF, Dreccer MF, Slafer GA (1997) Consequences of breeding on biomass, radiation interception and radiation use efficiency in wheat. Field Crop Res 52:271–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calderini DF, Reynolds MP, Slafer GA (1999) Genetic gains in wheat yield and main physiological changes associated with them during the 20th century. In: Satorre EH, Slafer GA (eds) Wheat: ecology and physiology of yield determination. Food Product Press, New York, pp 351–377

    Google Scholar 

  • Calderini DF, Savin R, Abeledo LG, Reynolds MP, Slafer GA (2001) The importance of the immediately preceding anthesis period for grain weight determination in wheat. Euphytica 119:199–204

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calderini DF, Reynolds MP, Slafer GA (2006) Source-sink effects on grain weight of bread wheat, durum wheat and triticale at different locations. Aust J Agr Res 57:227–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demotes Mainard S, Jeuffroy MH (2001) Partitioning of dry matter and nitrogen to spike throughout the spike growth period in wheat crops subjected to nitrogen deficiency. Field Crop Res 70:153–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dreccer MF, Grashoff C, Rabbinge R (1997) Source-sink ratio in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) during grain filling: effects on senescence and grain protein concentration. Field Crop Res 49:269–277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer RA (1984) Wheat. In: Smith WH, Banta JJ (eds) Potential productivity of field crops under different environments. IRRI, Los Baños, pp 129–154

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer RA (1985) Number of kernels in wheat crops and the influence of solar radiation and temperature. J Agr Sci (Cambridge) 105:447–461

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer RA (1996) Wheat physiology at CIMMYT and raising the yield plateau. In: Reynolds MP, Rajaram S, McNab A (eds) Increasing yield potential in wheat: breaking the barriers. CIMMYT, Mexico, pp 195–203

    Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez FG, Slafer GA, Miralles DJ (2003) Grain and floret number in response to photoperiod during stem elongation in fully and slightly vernalized wheats. Field Crop Res 81:17–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez FG, Slafer GA, Miralles DJ (2005a) Photoperiod during stem elongation in wheat: is its impact on fertile floret and grain number determination similar to that of radiation? Funct Plant Biol 32:181–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez FG, Slafer GA, Miralles DJ (2005b) Floret development and survival in wheat plants exposed to contrasting photoperiod and radiation environments during stem elongation. Funct Plant Biol 32:189–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez FG, Slafer GA, Miralles DJ (2005c) Pre-anthesis development and number of fertile florets in wheat as affected by photoperiod sensitivity genes Ppd-D1 and Ppd-B1. Eupytica 146:253–269

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenner CF (1994) Starch synthesis in the kernel of wheat under high temperature conditions. Aust J Plant Physiol 21:791–806

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kirby EJM (1988) Analysis of leaf, stem and ear growth in wheat from terminal spikelet stage to anthesis. Field Crop Res 18:127–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miralles DJ, Slafer GA (1997) Radiation interception and radiation use efficiency of near isogenic wheat lines with different height. Euphytica 97:201–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miralles DF, Katz SD, Colloca A, Slafer GA (1998) Floret development in near isogenic wheat lines differing in plant height. Field Crop Res 59:21–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miralles DF, Richards RA, Slafer GA (2000) Duration of the stem elongation period influences the number of fertile florets in wheat and barley. Aust J Plant Physiol 27:931–940

    Google Scholar 

  • Prystupa P, Savin R, Slafer GA (2004) Grain number and its relationship with dry matter, N and P in the spikes at heading in response to NxP fertilization in barley. Field Crop Res 90:245–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds MP, van Ginkel M, Ribaut JM (2000) Avenues for genetic modification of radiation use efficiency in wheat. J Exp Bot 51:459–473

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds MP, Calderini DF, Condon AG, Rajaram S (2001) Physiological basis of yield gains in wheat associated with the LR19 translocation from Agropyron elongatum. Euphytica 119:137–141

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds MP, Pellegrineschi A, Skovmand B (2004) Sink-limitation to yield and biomass: a summary of some investigations in spring wheat. Ann Appl Biol 146:39–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Romagosa I, Ullrich SE, Han F, Hayes PM (1996) Use of the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction model in QTL mapping for adaptation in barley. Theor Appl Genet 93:30–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savin R, Slafer GA (1991) Shading effects on the yield of an Argentinean wheat cultivar. J Agr Sci (Cambridge) 116:1–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Slafer GA (1996) Differences in phasic development rate amongst wheat cultivars independent of responses to photoperiod and vernalization. A viewpoint of the intrinsic earliness hypothesis. J Agr Sci (Cambridge) 126:403–419

    Google Scholar 

  • Slafer GA (2003) Genetic basis of yield as viewed from a crop physiologist’s perspective. Ann Appl Biol 142:117–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slafer GA, Andrade FH (1993) Physiological attributes related to the generation of grain yield in bread wheat cultivars released at different eras. Field Crop Res 31:351–367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slafer GA, Miralles DJ (1992) Green area duration during the grain filling period of wheat as affected by sowing date, temperature and sink strength. J Agron Crop Sci 168:191–200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slafer GA, Rawson HM (1996) Responses to photoperiod change with phenophase and temperature during wheat development. Field Crop Res 46:1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slafer GA, Savin R (1994) Sink-source relationships and grain mass at different positions within the spike in wheat. Field Crop Res 37:39–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slafer GA, Calderini DF, Miralles DJ (1996) Yield components and compensation in wheat: opportunities for further increasing yield potential. In: Reynolds MP, Rajaram S, McNab A (eds) Increasing yield potential in wheat: breaking the barriers. CIMMYT, Mexico DF, pp 101–133

    Google Scholar 

  • Slafer GA, Araus JL, Royo C, Garcìa del Moral LF (2005) Promising ecophysiological traits for genetic improvement of cereal yields in Mediterranean environments. Ann Appl Biol 146:61–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stone PJ, Savin R (1999) Grain quality and its physiological determinants. In: Satorre EH, Slafer GA (eds) Wheat: ecology and physiology of yield determination food product press, New York, pp 85–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Stuber CW, Polacco M, Lynn Senior M (1999) Synergy of empirical breeding, marker-assisted selection, and genomics to increase crop yield potential. Crop Sci 39:1571–1583

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thorne GN, Wood DW (1987) Effects of radiation and temperature on tiller survival, grain number and grain yield in winter wheat. Ann Bot 59:413–426

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitechurch EM, Slafer GA (2002) Contrasting Ppd genes in wheat affect sensitivity to photoperiod in different phases. Field Crop Res 73:95–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin X, Stam P, Dourleijn CJ, Kropff MJ (1999) AFLP mapping of quantitative trait loci for yield-determining physiological characters in spring barley. Theor Appl Genet 99:244–253

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Youssefian S, Kirby EJM, Gale MD (1992) Pleiotropic effects of the G.A. insensitive Rht dwarfing gene in wheat. 2. Effects on leaf, stem, ear and floret growth. Field Crop Res 28:191–210

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICREA’s Research Professor at the Dept. of Crop and Forest Sciences, University of Lleida, Centre UdL-IRTA, Av. Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain

    G. A. Slafer

Authors
  1. G. A. Slafer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Buck Semillas S.A, La Dulce, Argentina

    H. T. Buck

  2. National Institute for Agricultural Technology and Animal Husbandry, Marcos Juarez, Argentina

    J. E. Nisi

  3. National Southern University, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    N. Salomón

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2007 Springer

About this paper

Cite this paper

Slafer, G.A. (2007). Physiology of Determination of Major Wheat Yield Components. In: Buck, H.T., Nisi, J.E., Salomón, N. (eds) Wheat Production in Stressed Environments. Developments in Plant Breeding, vol 12. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-5497-1_68

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation