Dwarf alleles differentially affect barley root traits influencing nitrogen acquisition under low nutrient supply.

ABSTRACT: Sustainable food production depends critically on the development of crop genotypes that exhibit high yield under reduced nutrient inputs. Rooting traits have been widely advocated as being able to influence optimal plant performance, while breeding-based improvements in yield of spring barley suggest that this species is a good model crop. To date, however, molecular genetics knowledge has not delivered realistic plant ideotypes, while agronomic trials have been unable to identify superior traits. This study explores an intermediate experimental system in which root traits and their effect on plant performance can be quantified. As a test case, four modern semi-dwarf barley varieties, which possess either the ari-e.GP or the sdw1 dwarf allele, were compared with the long-stemmed old varie

SUBMITTER: Karley AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3134348 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature