Path Coefficient and Principal Component Analyses for Biomass Allocation, Drought Tolerance and Carbon Sequestration Potential in Wheat

Increased root biomass allocation could serve as a proxy trait for selecting crop ideotypes with drought tolerance and carbon sequestration potential in agricultural soils. The objective of this study was to assess the magnitude of the relationship between root biomass and yield components and to id...

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Main Authors: Kwame W. Shamuyarira, Hussein Shimelis, Sandiswa Figlan, Vincent Chaplot
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-05-01
Series:Plants
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/11/1407
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author Kwame W. Shamuyarira
Hussein Shimelis
Sandiswa Figlan
Vincent Chaplot
author_facet Kwame W. Shamuyarira
Hussein Shimelis
Sandiswa Figlan
Vincent Chaplot
author_sort Kwame W. Shamuyarira
collection DOAJ
description Increased root biomass allocation could serve as a proxy trait for selecting crop ideotypes with drought tolerance and carbon sequestration potential in agricultural soils. The objective of this study was to assess the magnitude of the relationship between root biomass and yield components and to identify influential traits so as to optimise genotype selection for enhanced biomass allocation, drought tolerance and carbon sequestration potential in bread wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.). One-hundred wheat genotypes consisting of 10 parents and 90 derived F<sub>2</sub> families were evaluated under drought-stressed and non-stressed conditions at two different sites. Data were collected for days to heading (DTH), days to maturity (DTM), plant height, productive tiller number (TN), spike length, spikelets per spike (SPS), kernels per spike (KPS), thousand kernel weight (TKW), shoot biomass, root biomass, total plant biomass (PB), root-to-shoot ratio (RS) and grain yield. There was significant (<i>p</i> < 0.05) genetic variation in most assessed traits, TN and RS being exceptions. Root biomass had significant positive correlations with grain yield under drought-stressed (<i>r</i> = 0.28) and non-stressed (<i>r</i> = 0.41) conditions, but a non-significant correlation was recorded for RS and grain yield. Notably, both root biomass and shoot biomass had significant positive correlations under both water regimes, revealing the potential of increasing both traits with minimal biomass trade-offs. The highest positive direct effects on grain yield were found for KPS and PB under both water regimes. The present study demonstrated that selection based on KPS and PB rather than RS will be more effective in ideotype selection of segregating populations for drought tolerance and carbon sequestration potential.
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spelling doaj.art-9c367141f2d5441bbf67e221f098f1282023-11-23T14:38:08ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472022-05-011111140710.3390/plants11111407Path Coefficient and Principal Component Analyses for Biomass Allocation, Drought Tolerance and Carbon Sequestration Potential in WheatKwame W. Shamuyarira0Hussein Shimelis1Sandiswa Figlan2Vincent Chaplot3School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South AfricaSchool of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South AfricaDepartment of Agriculture and Animal Health, University of South Africa, Florida 1709, South AfricaSchool of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South AfricaIncreased root biomass allocation could serve as a proxy trait for selecting crop ideotypes with drought tolerance and carbon sequestration potential in agricultural soils. The objective of this study was to assess the magnitude of the relationship between root biomass and yield components and to identify influential traits so as to optimise genotype selection for enhanced biomass allocation, drought tolerance and carbon sequestration potential in bread wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.). One-hundred wheat genotypes consisting of 10 parents and 90 derived F<sub>2</sub> families were evaluated under drought-stressed and non-stressed conditions at two different sites. Data were collected for days to heading (DTH), days to maturity (DTM), plant height, productive tiller number (TN), spike length, spikelets per spike (SPS), kernels per spike (KPS), thousand kernel weight (TKW), shoot biomass, root biomass, total plant biomass (PB), root-to-shoot ratio (RS) and grain yield. There was significant (<i>p</i> < 0.05) genetic variation in most assessed traits, TN and RS being exceptions. Root biomass had significant positive correlations with grain yield under drought-stressed (<i>r</i> = 0.28) and non-stressed (<i>r</i> = 0.41) conditions, but a non-significant correlation was recorded for RS and grain yield. Notably, both root biomass and shoot biomass had significant positive correlations under both water regimes, revealing the potential of increasing both traits with minimal biomass trade-offs. The highest positive direct effects on grain yield were found for KPS and PB under both water regimes. The present study demonstrated that selection based on KPS and PB rather than RS will be more effective in ideotype selection of segregating populations for drought tolerance and carbon sequestration potential.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/11/1407biomass allocationdrought tolerancepath analysisprincipal component analysisselection efficiencywheat
spellingShingle Kwame W. Shamuyarira
Hussein Shimelis
Sandiswa Figlan
Vincent Chaplot
Path Coefficient and Principal Component Analyses for Biomass Allocation, Drought Tolerance and Carbon Sequestration Potential in Wheat
Plants
biomass allocation
drought tolerance
path analysis
principal component analysis
selection efficiency
wheat
title Path Coefficient and Principal Component Analyses for Biomass Allocation, Drought Tolerance and Carbon Sequestration Potential in Wheat
title_full Path Coefficient and Principal Component Analyses for Biomass Allocation, Drought Tolerance and Carbon Sequestration Potential in Wheat
title_fullStr Path Coefficient and Principal Component Analyses for Biomass Allocation, Drought Tolerance and Carbon Sequestration Potential in Wheat
title_full_unstemmed Path Coefficient and Principal Component Analyses for Biomass Allocation, Drought Tolerance and Carbon Sequestration Potential in Wheat
title_short Path Coefficient and Principal Component Analyses for Biomass Allocation, Drought Tolerance and Carbon Sequestration Potential in Wheat
title_sort path coefficient and principal component analyses for biomass allocation drought tolerance and carbon sequestration potential in wheat
topic biomass allocation
drought tolerance
path analysis
principal component analysis
selection efficiency
wheat
url https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/11/1407
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AT sandiswafiglan pathcoefficientandprincipalcomponentanalysesforbiomassallocationdroughttoleranceandcarbonsequestrationpotentialinwheat
AT vincentchaplot pathcoefficientandprincipalcomponentanalysesforbiomassallocationdroughttoleranceandcarbonsequestrationpotentialinwheat