Defining the physiological determinants of low nitrogen requirement in wheat

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) is a major nutrient limiting productivity in many ecosystems. The large N demands associated with food crop production are met mainly through the provision of synthetic N fertiliser, leading to economic and ecological costs. Optimising the balance between N supply and demand is key to reducing N losses to the environment. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production provides food for millions of people worldwide and is highly dependent on sufficient N supply. The size of the N sink, i.e. wheat grain (number, size, and protein content) is the main driver of high N requirement. Optimal functioning of temporary sinks, in particular the canopy, can also affect N requirement. N use efficiency (i.e. yield produced per unit of N available) tends to be lower under high N conditions, suggesting that wheat plants are more efficient under low N conditions and that there is an optimal functioning yet unattained under high N conditions. Understanding the determinants of low N requirement in wheat would provide the basis for the selection of genetic material suitable for sustainable cereal production. In this review, we dissect the drivers of N requirement at the plant level along with the temporal dynamics of supply and demand.

Trade-offs in the genetic control of functional and nutritional quality traits in UK winter wheat

“…However, a suitably high heritability for the grain yield-protein deviation has been found (Mosleth et al 2020 ), which suggests that positive genetic gain would be possible using appropriate selection indices and genomic prediction tools (Michel et al 2019 ; Scott et al 2021 ). This approach is thought to also result in increased nitrogen use efficiency (Fradgley et al 2021 ).…”

Subsurface-Applied Coated Nitrogen Fertilizer Enhanced Wheat Production by Improving Nutrient-Use Efficiency with Less Ammonia Volatilization

“…Wheat production feeds millions of people around the world and is largely reliant on adequate nitrogen supply. Nitrogen is a major nutrient that restricts the productivity of wheat [18]. There is also a lot of variation in how wheat cultivars acquire and use nitrogen to produce higher yields [19].…”

Introductory Chapter: Advancements in Wheat Research

“…Not surprisingly, the most important environmental factor that affects GPC is the amount of N fertilizer applied, but there is also a negative relationship between GCP and yield in many environments. GPD stands for "grain protein deviation," which is a way that varieties can be different from the relationship between yield and GPC [16]. It has been suggested that breeders could use GPD as a selection target to get around or lessen the effect of the negative relationship.…”