Effect of Grain Size on The Root System Architecture of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of grain size on seedling root architecture. Ten different bread wheat cultivars were selected to examine the effect of grain size on primary root traits under controlled conditions. Seminal root traits were tested with germination papers at the growth stage 1. Significant differences between seminal root number, total seminal root length, longest root length, and root growth angle were observed among 10 cultivars. The seminal root number per plant was found to be 3.93 in the large, 3.71 in the medium and 3.20 in the small grain groups. Similar rankings in the seminal root length were observed, while root growth angle did not follow the same trend. The study suggested that the cultivar Atay 85 with superior primary root traits can be an advantage, especially in regions where plants achieve an advantage at a deep soil water level, under water stress at early growth stages.

Keywords

• root architecture
• grain size
• bread wheat
• seminal root length
• seminal root angle