Efficient movers best in drought

Breeding wheat better able to store carbohydrate in its stem and later move it to the grain could help reduce yield and quality losses during drought.

Under normal conditions with adequate water, plants turn water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates through photosynthesis. These carbohydrates provide energy and building blocks for the plant to grow and produce grain.

Extra carbohydrates derived from photosynthesis are stored in the stem as a reserve carbon source. If conditions become dry the plant can then draw upon carbohydrate reserves in the stem to fill the grain.

Different wheats have different capacities to store carbohydrates in the stem. CSIRO Plant Industry scientists from Brisbane and Canberra have found that wheats with higher concentrations of stem carbohydrates often produce larger grains than other varieties even under drought conditions. These wheats seem to have a better carbohydrate reserve from which to fill the grain.

Team members Drs Linda Tabe, Colin Jenkins, and Gangping Xue found several genes which played a part in controlling this carbohydrate storage process. Some of these genes are now the subject of further research.

This project was supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and partly conducted under Graingene, a joint venture between CSIRO Plant Industry, GRDC, AWB Ltd and Syngenta.

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