Tracing nitrogen use efficiency of diverse Canadian spring wheat cultivars
Decades of wheat breeding have provided growers with numerous high-yielding options, but it is unknown if these yield improvements are likewise characterized with improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Fertilizer nitrogen (N) is an ever-increasing expense, so improving NUE by reducing the requireme...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1439395/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841553355006017536 |
|---|---|
| author | Kate A. Congreves Olivia Otchere Pierre J. Hucl |
| author_facet | Kate A. Congreves Olivia Otchere Pierre J. Hucl |
| author_sort | Kate A. Congreves |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Decades of wheat breeding have provided growers with numerous high-yielding options, but it is unknown if these yield improvements are likewise characterized with improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Fertilizer nitrogen (N) is an ever-increasing expense, so improving NUE by reducing the requirement for N fertilizer without risking yield and quality is necessary. The goal of our research is to identify cultivars and associated traits that may improve NUE while maintaining productivity. We compared 25 spring wheat cultivars over a three-year period (2020, 2021, 2022) at two field sites differing in background soil N level for the ability to use fertilizer-N and allocate it to the grain. To do so, we employed the 15N stable isotope technique to trace the flow of fertilizer-N and determine the 15N recovery efficiency (15NRE). The 15NRE in the grain averaged 25.0% at the higher soil N site, and 15.5% at the lower soil N site. At the higher soil N site only, dwarfing alleles (Rht-B1b) were associated with greater 15NRE. Grain 15NRE was positively associated with yield, grain N content, and the 15N harvest index (15NHI) at the high soil N environment, but never at the low soil N environment. Our findings support the notion that the genetic development of high yielding semi-dwarf cultivars also translates into an improved ability to recover fertilizer-N—but this outcome is only expressed only under rich soil N conditions. Cultivars that simultaneously produced higher 15NRE and yields, grain N, or 15NHI differed by environment; possibly suggesting different mechanisms for improving crop NUE depending on background soil N level. Ultimately, cultivar-specific 15NRE information, including that presented here, will be useful breeders to design new crosses and approaches aimed at increasing NUE for spring wheat. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-11f5ddbdd40a44ba9f4099d37e173bcd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-11f5ddbdd40a44ba9f4099d37e173bcd2025-01-09T10:16:12ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2024-12-011510.3389/fpls.2024.14393951439395Tracing nitrogen use efficiency of diverse Canadian spring wheat cultivarsKate A. CongrevesOlivia OtcherePierre J. HuclDecades of wheat breeding have provided growers with numerous high-yielding options, but it is unknown if these yield improvements are likewise characterized with improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Fertilizer nitrogen (N) is an ever-increasing expense, so improving NUE by reducing the requirement for N fertilizer without risking yield and quality is necessary. The goal of our research is to identify cultivars and associated traits that may improve NUE while maintaining productivity. We compared 25 spring wheat cultivars over a three-year period (2020, 2021, 2022) at two field sites differing in background soil N level for the ability to use fertilizer-N and allocate it to the grain. To do so, we employed the 15N stable isotope technique to trace the flow of fertilizer-N and determine the 15N recovery efficiency (15NRE). The 15NRE in the grain averaged 25.0% at the higher soil N site, and 15.5% at the lower soil N site. At the higher soil N site only, dwarfing alleles (Rht-B1b) were associated with greater 15NRE. Grain 15NRE was positively associated with yield, grain N content, and the 15N harvest index (15NHI) at the high soil N environment, but never at the low soil N environment. Our findings support the notion that the genetic development of high yielding semi-dwarf cultivars also translates into an improved ability to recover fertilizer-N—but this outcome is only expressed only under rich soil N conditions. Cultivars that simultaneously produced higher 15NRE and yields, grain N, or 15NHI differed by environment; possibly suggesting different mechanisms for improving crop NUE depending on background soil N level. Ultimately, cultivar-specific 15NRE information, including that presented here, will be useful breeders to design new crosses and approaches aimed at increasing NUE for spring wheat.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1439395/fullnitrogen recovery15N labellingfertilizer use efficiencywheat breedingspring wheat |
| spellingShingle | Kate A. Congreves Olivia Otchere Pierre J. Hucl Tracing nitrogen use efficiency of diverse Canadian spring wheat cultivars Frontiers in Plant Science nitrogen recovery 15N labelling fertilizer use efficiency wheat breeding spring wheat |
| title | Tracing nitrogen use efficiency of diverse Canadian spring wheat cultivars |
| title_full | Tracing nitrogen use efficiency of diverse Canadian spring wheat cultivars |
| title_fullStr | Tracing nitrogen use efficiency of diverse Canadian spring wheat cultivars |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tracing nitrogen use efficiency of diverse Canadian spring wheat cultivars |
| title_short | Tracing nitrogen use efficiency of diverse Canadian spring wheat cultivars |
| title_sort | tracing nitrogen use efficiency of diverse canadian spring wheat cultivars |
| topic | nitrogen recovery 15N labelling fertilizer use efficiency wheat breeding spring wheat |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1439395/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kateacongreves tracingnitrogenuseefficiencyofdiversecanadianspringwheatcultivars AT oliviaotchere tracingnitrogenuseefficiencyofdiversecanadianspringwheatcultivars AT pierrejhucl tracingnitrogenuseefficiencyofdiversecanadianspringwheatcultivars |