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Lake L, Hayes JE, Ortega Martinez R, Weller JL, Javid M, Butler JB, James LE, Gimenez R, Dreccer MF, French R, Sadras VO. Genetics of phenological development and implications for seed yield in lentil. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:4772-4783. [PMID: 38712747 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erae203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Understanding phenology, its genetics and agronomic consequences, is critical for crop adaptation. Here we aim to (i) characterize lentil response to photoperiod with a focus on five loci: the lentil ELF3 orthologue Sn, two loci linked to clusters of lentil FT orthologues, and two loci without candidates in chromosomes 2 and 5 (Experiment 1: 36 lines, short and long days in a phytotron), and (ii) establish the phenology-yield relationship (Experiment 2: 25 lines, 11 field environments). A vintage perspective, where we quantify time trends in phenotype over three decades of breeding, links both experiments. Yield increased linearly from older to newer varieties at 29 kg ha-1 year-1 or 1.5% year-1, correlated negatively with flowering time in both winter- and summer-rainfall regimes, and decoupled from biomass in favourable environments. Time to flowering shortened from older to newer varieties at -0.56% year-1 in the field, and -0.42% year-1 (short days) and -0.99% year-1 (long days) in the phytotron. Early-flowering lines of diverse origin carried multiple early alleles for the five loci, indicating that at least some of these loci affect phenology additively. Current germplasm primarily features the early-flowering haplotype for an FTb cluster region, hence the potential to increase phenological diversity with yield implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan Lake
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, Australia
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Australia
| | - Julie E Hayes
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Australia
| | - Raul Ortega Martinez
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay Campus, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Jim L Weller
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay Campus, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Muhammad Javid
- Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Merredin, WA, Australia
| | - Jacob B Butler
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay Campus, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Laura E James
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay Campus, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Raul Gimenez
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, Australia
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay Campus, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - M Fernanda Dreccer
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Queensland, Australia
| | - Robert French
- Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Merredin, WA, Australia
| | - Victor O Sadras
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, Australia
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Australia
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Sadras VO, Rosewarne GM, Lake L. Australian Lentil Breeding Between 1988 and 2019 Has Delivered Greater Yield Gain Under Stress Than Under High-Yield Conditions. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:674327. [PMID: 34149775 PMCID: PMC8207196 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.674327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The contemporary lentil (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris) industry in Australia started in the late 1980s. Yield in farmers' fields averages 1.2 t ha-1 nationally and has not increased over three decades. Lack of yield progress can be related to a number of non-mutually exclusive reasons: expansion of lentil to low-yielding environments, lack of genetic gain in yield, lack of progress in agronomic practices, and lack of adoption of superior technologies. The aims of this study were to (i) quantify the genetic gain in lentil yield since 1988, (ii) explore the variation in the expression of genetic gain with the environment, and (iii) identify shifts in crop phenotype associated with selection for yield and agronomic adaptation. We grew a historic collection of 19 varieties released between 1988 and 2019 in eight environments resulting from the factorial combination of two sowing dates, two water regimes, and two seasons. Across environments, yield varied 11-fold from 0.2 to 2.2 t ha-1. The rate of genetic gain averaged 20 kg ha-1 year-1 or 1.23% year-1 across environments and was higher in low-yield environments. The yield increase was associated with substantial shifts in phenology. Newer varieties had a shorter time to flowering and pod emergence, and the rate of change in these traits was more pronounced in slow-developing environments (e.g., earlier sowing). Thermal time from sowing to end of flowering and maturity were shorter in newer varieties, and thermal time from pod emergence to maturity was longer in newer varieties; the rate of change in these traits was unrelated to developmental drivers and correlated with environmental mean yield. Genetic gain in yield was associated with increased grain number and increased harvest index. Despite their shorter time to maturity, newer varieties had similar or higher biomass than their older counterparts because crop growth rate during the critical period increased with the year of release. Genotype-dependent yield increased over three decades in low-yield environments, whereas actual farm yield has been stagnant; this suggests an increasing yield gap requiring agronomic solutions. Genetic improvement in high-yield environments requires improved coupling of growth and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor O. Sadras
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | | | - Lachlan Lake
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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