Lodging is an important limiting factor in wheat because it affects growth, yield and grain quality. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are often used to restrain elongation of internodes, improve lodging traits, and protect yield potentials. An experiment was set up in the greenhouse at the Ottawa Research and Development Centre (ORDC) to study the effect of the selected PGRs (Manipulator, the active ingredient of which is chlormequat; and Palisade, the active ingredient of which is trinexapac-ethyl) on yield, stem height and morphological traits in six spring wheat cultivars (AC Carberry, AAC Scotia, Hoffman, Fuzion, FL62R1, and AW725). Both PGRs reduced plant height and caused a 6% to 48% reduction in the length of the second basal internode. The mixture of the two PGRs had a synergistic affect and made the stem shorter. The application of PGRs significantly reduced lodging, increased stem diameter, thickness, filling degree, and stem strength, and increased leaf relative chlorophyll content. However, application of PGRs significantly reduced grain yield, and the combination of the two PGRs (Manipulator and Palisade) had a synergistic effect and lowered the yield. In general, the effect of Palisade was more evident than that of Manipulator.

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Grain yield and the number of grains per ear of wheat decreased under the low temperature after jointing stage. In order to explore the physiological reasons of the decrease of grains number per ear by low temperature in spring, the spring wheat variety Yangmai 16 and the semi-winter wheat variety Xumai 30 were used as tested varieties to analyze the effects of low temperature in spring on the fertility of pollen and the formation of grain numbers at the appearance of the penultimate leaf stage (5 / ℃ -3 , day/night), booting stage (8 / ℃ ℃ -1 , day/night), and anthesis stage ( ℃ 12 /4 , day/night). The results showed that low ℃ ℃ temperature at the appearance of the penultimate leaf stage and booting stage resulted in abnormal metabolism of starch and protein in the anther both at the binuclear and tri-nuclear pollen stages and delayed degradation of the tapetum. The low temperature at the booting stage caused abnormal meiosis of pollen mother cells, abnormalities in chromosome pairing, which affected the

Waterlogging is a major constraint on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production, especially in the Yangtze River Basin of China (YR). A container experiment was designed to investigate wheat-seedling growth and short-term recoveryin response to waterlogging. Cultivars commonly grown in theYR from three different decades, namely, Yangmai 1 (1970s), Yangmai 158 (1990s), and Yangfumai 4 (2010s), were selected. Seedling waterlogging significantly postponed leaf development, as well as decreased the number of tillers and adventitious roots per plant, seedling height, leaf area, specific leaf dry weight, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, and root/shoot ratio. After a 20-day recovery phase, the leaf stage, seedling height, and root/shoot ratio recovered to the control level, whereas the adverse effects of waterlogging on the number of tillers per plant, leaf area, and shoot dry weight intensified. Significant differences were found in seedling growth among the three wheat cultivars. Yangfumai 4 showed the highest number of adventitious rootsper plant and the highest specific leaf dry weightbut the lowest seedling height, leaf area, and dry weights of shoots and roots. However, Yangfumai 4 showed the lowest percentage decrease in all growth parameters after both waterlogging and recovery. These results suggested thatimprovement inadventitious root numberper plant and specific leaf dry weight may be indicators ofresistance to waterlogging in wheat.