Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2006, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (1): 71-77.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2006.0010

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EFFECTS OF NITROGEN ON GRAIN YIELD AND QUALITY IN WHEAT GROWN UNDER DROUGHT OR WATERLOGGING STRESS FROM ANTHESIS TO MATURITY

FAN Xue-Mei, JIANG Dong DAI, DAI Ting-Bo, CAO Wei-Xing*()   

  1. Key Laboratory of Crop Growth Regulation, MOA, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
  • Received:2004-09-03 Accepted:2005-03-15 Online:2006-09-03 Published:2006-01-30
  • Contact: CAO Wei-Xing

Abstract:

Soil water stress is a major ecological factor which limits grain quality formation in wheat. Previous studies have mainly focused on the effects of drought or waterlogging and the interactive effects of nitrogen availability and drought on grain quality, while little information is available on nitrogen supply under waterlogging conditions on grain quality. Therefore, the effects of nitrogen levels on grain yield and quality of two different wheat varieties that differ in grain protein content were compared under drought and waterlogging conditions in a pool culture experiment. Three water treatments, waterlogging, drought (45%-50% of field capacity) and moderate water supply (corresponding to 70%-80% of field capacity), were maintained from anthesis to maturity. Under each water treatment, two nitrogen levels, 120 and 240 kg·hm-2, were implemented. Both drought and waterlogging significantly reduced 1 000-kernel weight, grain number per ear and grain yield in wheat, compared with moderate water supply (CK). Under CK and drought, nitrogen increased grain yield but reduced yield under waterlogging. Compared with CK, drought increased the contents of protein, dry gluten and wet gluten, SDS-sedimentation volume and falling number, while waterlogging reduced the contents of grain protein, dry and wet gluten. Under the same water treatment, nitrogen increased the protein content, ratio of glutenin to gliadin, amylopectin content and ratio of amylopectin and amylose. Significant interactions between water and nitrogen on glutelin content, amylose content and falling number in the two different wheat varieties were observed. In addition, significant interactions between water and nitrogen on kernel number per spike, contents of albumin and globulin, ratio of glutenin to gliadin, amylopectin content, ratio of amylopectin and amylose and dry gluten in `Xuzhou 26' were observed, but no differences in the `Yangmai 9' were found. Significant interactions on 1 000-kernel weight, total starch content and gluten index in `Yangmai 9' were observed, while no differences in `Xuzhou 26' were found. The effects of water and nitrogen on grain yield and quality varied with different wheat cultivars. These results established the relationship between wheat grain quality with nitrogen under drought or waterlogging conditions. The results of this study offer insights into techniques for resisting stress and regulating high quality wheat under different ecological conditions.

Key words: Wheat, Drought, Waterlogging, Water and nitrogen interactions, Grain yields, Grain quality