Grain Yield, Starch Content and Activities of Key Enzymes of Waxy and Non-waxy Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

Waxy wheat has unique end-use properties; however, its production is limited due mainly to its low grain yield compared with non-waxy wheat. In order to increase its grain yield, it is critical to understand the eco-physiological differences in grain filling between the waxy and non-waxy wheat. In this study, two waxy wheat and two non-waxy wheat cultivars were used to investigate the differences in starch-associated enzymes processes, sucrose and starch dynamics, yield components, and the final grain yield. The results indicated that the mean total grain starch and amylose content, the average 1000-kernel weight and grain yield of the waxy wheat were lower than those of the non-waxy wheat at maturity. The amylose content was significantly and positively correlated with the activity of GBSS (r = 0.80, p < 0.01). Significant positive correlation also exists among activities of AGPase, SSS, GBSS, and SBE, except for GBSS-SBE. In summary, our study has revealed that the reduced conversion of sucrose to starch in the late grain filling stage is the main cause for the low kernel weight and total starch accumulation of the waxy wheat. The reduced conversion also appears to be a factor contributing to the lower grain yield of the waxy wheat.

Agronomic and physiological performance of an indica–japonica rice variety with a high yield and high nitrogen use efficiency

“…Carbohydrates account for 80–90% of the grain filling in rice, and the transport status of carbohydrates is crucial for the percentage of filled grains and grain weight (Yoshida, 1972; Zi et al., 2018). However, little information is known about the N transport status in rice.…”

Rising Atmospheric Temperature Impact on Wheat and Thermotolerance Strategies

“…Wheat grain contains 60-70% starch content and gradually drops under high temperature [63,64]. High temperature inhibits the starch accumulation into grains ascribable to the enzymes inactivity viz., granule bound starch, soluble starch, and sucrose synthase during the grain filling phase [65,66]. It also declines the starch content synthesis [67,68], stem reserves carbohydrates translocation [69,70], alters the structure of aleurone layer, and endosperm of seed [71,72], which ultimately influences grain development.…”

On the Roles of Wheat Endosperm ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase Subunits

“…In order to meet the caloric needs of our growing population, it is estimated that the yield of this crop must substantially increase in the near future ( Altman, 1999 ). Crop yield is influenced by starch synthesis ( Smidansky et al, 2003 ; Tuncel and Okita, 2013 ; Zi et al, 2018 ), which in higher plants and unicellular algae is controlled to a large extent by ADP-glucose (ADP-Glc) pyrophosphorylase (EC: 2.7.7.27; ADP-Glc PPase). This regulatory enzyme catalyzes the conversion of ATP and glucose-1-phosphate (Glc-1P) to form ADP-Glc and pyrophosphate (PP i ) ( Iglesias and Preiss, 1992 ; Ballicora et al, 2003 , 2004 ).…”