2026-04-14T08:54:28Zhttps://recercat.cat/oai/request

oai:recercat.cat:20.500.12327/45602025-10-22T11:00:40Zcom_2072_4428com_2072_4427col_2072_487898

Optimising Root and Grain Yield Through Variety Selection in Winter Wheat Across a European Climate Gradient Heinemann, H. Durand-Maniclas, F. Seidel, F. Ciulla, F. Bárcena, T.G. Camenzind, M. Corrado, S. Csúrös, Z. Czakó, Zs. Eylenbosch, D. Ficke, A. Flamm, C. Herrera, J.M. Horáková, V. Hund, A. Lüddeke, F. Platz, F. Poós, B. Rasse, D. Lopes, Marta S. Toleikiene, M. Versuliené, A. Visse-Mansiaux, M. Yu, K. Hirte, J. Don, A. Producció Vegetal Cultius Extensius Sostenibles 631 633 Ensuring food security through sustainable practices while reducing greenhouse gas emissions are key challenges in modern agriculture. Utilising genetic variability within a crop species to identify varieties with higher root biomass carbon (C) could help address these challenges. It is thus crucial to quantify and understand intra-specific above- and belowground performance under varying environmental conditions. The study objectives were to: (a) quantify root biomass and depth distribution in different winter wheat varieties under various pedoclimatic conditions, (b) investigate the influence of variety and pedoclimatic conditions on the relationship between above- and belowground biomass production, and (c) assess whether optimised winter wheat variety selection can lead to both greater root biomass C and yield, boosting C accrual. Root biomass, root distribution to 1 m soil depth and root-to-shoot ratios were assessed in 10 different winter wheat varieties grown at 11 experimental sites covering a European climatic gradient from Spain to Norway. Median root biomass down to 1 m depth was 1.4 ± 0.7 Mg ha−1. The primary explanatory factor was site, accounting for 60% of the variation in root biomass production, while the genetic diversity between wheat varieties explained 9.5%. Precipitation had a significantly negative effect on total root biomass, especially in subsoil. Significant differences were also observed between varieties in root-to-shoot ratios and grain yield. The difference between the variety with the lowest root biomass and the one with the highest across sites was on average 0.9 Mg ha−1 which is an increase of 45%. Pedoclimatic conditions had a greater influence than variety, and determined the relationship's direction between root biomass and grain yield. A site-specific approach is, therefore, needed to realise the full potential for increased root biomass and yield offered by optimised variety selection. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2025-02-24 info:eu-repo/semantics/article Heinemann, H., F. Durand‐Maniclas, F. Seidel, F. Ciulla, T. G. Bárcena, M. Camenzind, S. Corrado, et al. 2025. European Journal of Soil Science 76 (2). doi:10.1111/ejss.70077. 1351-0754 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12327/4560 https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.70077 eng European Journal of Soil Science (EJSS) Attribution 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess 16 Wiley