Genetic control of root and shoot mass in New Zealand wheat cultivars.

摘要

Roots are an important, but often neglected, contributor to the overall performance of crops (Sleper et al 1991). Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of extensive root systems in the ability of wheat crops to withstand drought conditions(Lupton et al 1974, Ehdaie et al 2001) and capture and take up essential nutrients (Barber, 1979, Drew, 1979). Roots may also have a role in maintaining the structure of heavily cropped soils by slowing the associated decline in organic matter and physical fertility (Haynes and Francis, 1990). This paper investigates genetic variation in root mass among New Zealand (NZ) wheat cultivars, its relationship to associated variance in shoot mass and the potential to manipulate these variances in a NZ wheat breeding programme.