Wheat flag leaf epicuticular wax morphology and composition in response to moderate drought stress are revealed by SEM, FTIR‐ATR and synchrotron X‐ray spectroscopy

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the largest cereal crop grown in Western Canada where drought during late vegetative and seed filling stages affects plant development and yield. To identify new physiochemical markers associated with drought tolerance, epidermal characteristics of the flag leaf of tw...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physiologia plantarum 2018-03, Vol.162 (3), p.316-332
Main Authors: Willick, Ian R., Lahlali, Rachid, Vijayan, Perumal, Muir, David, Karunakaran, Chithra, Tanino, Karen K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Carbonyls
Cereal crops
Cultivars
Developmental stages
Drought
Drought resistance
Esters
Fluorescence
Fourier transforms
Leaves
Markers
Moisture content
Physiochemistry
Plant growth
Reflectance
Spectrum analysis
Triticum aestivum
Water content
Water use
Wheat
X-ray fluorescence
X-ray spectroscopy
Zinc
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Summary:Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the largest cereal crop grown in Western Canada where drought during late vegetative and seed filling stages affects plant development and yield. To identify new physiochemical markers associated with drought tolerance, epidermal characteristics of the flag leaf of two wheat cultivars with contrasting drought tolerance were investigated. The drought resistant ‘Stettler’ had a lower drought susceptibility index, greater harvest index and water‐use efficiency than the susceptible ‘Superb’. Furthermore, flag leaf width, relative water content and leaf roll were significantly greater in Stettler than in Superb at moderate drought stress (MdS). Visible differences in epicuticular wax density on the adaxial flag leaf surfaces and larger bulliform cells were identified in Stettler as opposed to Superb. Mid‐infrared attenuated total internal reflectance spectra revealed that Stettler flag leaves had increased asymmetric and symmetric CH2 but reduced carbonyl esters on its adaxial leaf surface compared to Superb under MdS. X‐ray fluorescence spectra revealed a significant increase in total flag leaf Zn concentrations in Stettler in response to MdS. Such information on the microstructural and chemical features of flag leaf may have potential as markers for drought tolerance and thereby accelerate the selection and release of more drought‐resistant cultivars.
ISSN:0031-9317
1399-3054
DOI:10.1111/ppl.12637