Effects of Temperature, Drought, and Fertilizer Levels on Grain Development and Gluten Protein Gene Expression in a US Wheat Cultivar

Abstract

In controlled growth experiments, defined regimes of temperature, water and fertilizer between anthesis and maturity influenced the developmental program of a US hard red spring wheat and resulted in kernels that varied in size and protein content. Temperature exerted a pronounced effect on the progression of kernel development. Elevated daytime temperatures significantly compressed the developmental program and decreased mature kernel weights. These effects were intensified by water deficit. In contrast, different fertilizer levels had only moderate effects on the progression of grain development, but had large effects on protein accumulation. Understanding the interacting effects of environmental variables on grain development is an important step towards defining the molecular mechanisms by which the grain responds to abiotic stress.