‘Stay green’ in wheat: comparative study of modern bread wheat and ancient wheat cultivars

Abstract

Wheat production in arid and semi-arid environments can be limited by water stress which hastens premature senescence and consequently lowers yield. ‘Stay green’ is a vital characteristic associated with the capacity of the plant to maintain CO2 assimilation and photosynthesis. Ancient wheat genotypes possessing the ability to maintain green leaf area duration (stay green traits) throughout grain filling are potential candidates for adapting and improving wheat for higher yield in arid and semi-arid regions. This study compared the ‘stay green’ of four cultivars of modern bread wheat and eight cultivars of three ancient wheat genotypes (emmer, einkorn, spelt). Values of stay green obtained through visual scoring and SPAD-502 chlorophyll content measurement were compared and explored for relationships at both the cultivar and genotype levels. The results show that spelt has superior stay green trait that can be explored for wheat improvement for arid and semi-arid environments. Linear relationship was also found between visual scoring stay green values and SPAD502 values. Such a relationship would prove useful for research and crop management in resource-poor areas