TY - JOUR

T1 - Agroecological genetics of biomass allocation in wheat uncovers genotype interactions with canopy shade and plant size

AU - Golan, Guy

AU - Weiner, Jacob

AU - Zhao, Yusheng

AU - Schnurbusch, Thorsten

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - How plants distribute biomass among organs influences resource acquisition, reproduction and plant–plant interactions, and is essential in understanding plant ecology, evolution, and yield production in agriculture. However, the genetic mechanisms regulating allocation responses to the environment are largely unknown. We studied recombinant lines of wheat (Triticum spp.) grown as single plants under sunlight and simulated canopy shade to investigate genotype-by-environment interactions in biomass allocation to the leaves, stems, spikes, and grains. Size-corrected mass fractions and allometric slopes were employed to dissect allocation responses to light limitation and plant size. Size adjustments revealed light-responsive alleles associated with adaptation to the crop environment. Combined with an allometric approach, we demonstrated that polymorphism in the DELLA protein is associated with the response to shade and size. While a gibberellin-sensitive allelic effect on stem allocation was amplified when plants were shaded, size-dependent effects of this allele drive allocation to reproduction, suggesting that the ontogenetic trajectory of the plant affects the consequences of shade responses for allocation. Our approach provides a basis for exploring the genetic determinants underlying investment strategies in the face of different resource constraints and will be useful in predicting social behaviours of individuals in a crop community.

AB - How plants distribute biomass among organs influences resource acquisition, reproduction and plant–plant interactions, and is essential in understanding plant ecology, evolution, and yield production in agriculture. However, the genetic mechanisms regulating allocation responses to the environment are largely unknown. We studied recombinant lines of wheat (Triticum spp.) grown as single plants under sunlight and simulated canopy shade to investigate genotype-by-environment interactions in biomass allocation to the leaves, stems, spikes, and grains. Size-corrected mass fractions and allometric slopes were employed to dissect allocation responses to light limitation and plant size. Size adjustments revealed light-responsive alleles associated with adaptation to the crop environment. Combined with an allometric approach, we demonstrated that polymorphism in the DELLA protein is associated with the response to shade and size. While a gibberellin-sensitive allelic effect on stem allocation was amplified when plants were shaded, size-dependent effects of this allele drive allocation to reproduction, suggesting that the ontogenetic trajectory of the plant affects the consequences of shade responses for allocation. Our approach provides a basis for exploring the genetic determinants underlying investment strategies in the face of different resource constraints and will be useful in predicting social behaviours of individuals in a crop community.

KW - allocation

KW - allometry

KW - biomass

KW - competition

KW - G × E

KW - light

KW - plasticity

KW - wheat

U2 - 10.1111/nph.19576

DO - 10.1111/nph.19576

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 38326944

AN - SCOPUS:85184420418

VL - 242

SP - 107

EP - 120

JO - New Phytologist

JF - New Phytologist

SN - 0028-646X

IS - 1

ER -