Phenotypic variation in photosynthetic traits in wheat grown under field versus glasshouse conditions : Mismatch between field versus glasshouse-grown plants

Sales, CRG and Molero, Gemma and Evans, John and Taylor, Samuel and Joynson, Ryan and Furbank, Robert and Hall, Anthony and Carmo-Silva, Elizabete (2022) Phenotypic variation in photosynthetic traits in wheat grown under field versus glasshouse conditions : Mismatch between field versus glasshouse-grown plants. Journal of Experimental Botany, 73 (10). pp. 3221-3237. ISSN 0022-0957

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Abstract

Recognition of the untapped potential of photosynthesis to improve crop yields has spurred research to identify targets for breeding. The CO2-fixing enzyme Rubisco is characterised by a number of inefficiencies and frequently limits carbon assimilation at the top of the canopy, representing a clear target for wheat improvement. Two bread wheat lines with similar genetic backgrounds and contrasting in vivo maximum carboxylation activity of Rubisco per unit leaf nitrogen (Vc,max,25/Narea) determined using high throughput phenotyping methods were selected for detailed study from a panel of 80 spring wheat lines. Detailed phenotyping of photosynthetic traits in the two lines using glasshouse-grown plants showed no difference in Vc,max,25/Narea determined directly via in vivo and in vitro methods. Detailed phenotyping of glasshouse-grown plants of the 80 wheat lines also showed no correlation between photosynthetic traits measured via high throughput phenotyping of field-grown plants. Our findings suggest that the complex interplay between traits determining crop productivity and the dynamic environments experienced by field-grown plants needs to be considered when designing strategies for effective wheat crop yield improvement when breeding for particular environments