Rht13 dwarfing gene delays foliar senescence in wheat induced by nitrogen deficiency

摘要

Nitrogen is an essential mineral nutrient for maintaining plant growth, development and reproduction. Nitrogen deficiency is one of the most serious abiotic stresses affecting grain yiled production around the world. We studied the effect of the Rht13 dwarfing gene on the physiological response of hydroponically grown wheat to nitrogen deficiency. The Rht13 wheat was able to maintain a higher photosynthetic rate than the wild-type rht genotype under conditions of low nitrogen. Foliar senescence was slower for the Rht13 than the rht wheat, so the Rht13 leaves contained more nitrogen and chlorophyll and had a higher actual photochemical efficiency and photosynthetic rate. These advantages directly led to more accumulation of whole-plant biomass in the Rht13 than the rht wheat under conditions of low nitrogen. The Rht13 gene can thus be potentially used for breeding wheat for cultivation in infertile soil.