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The knowledge of interactions among crop genotypes, soil types, and crop management is essential for precision agriculture. This paper explores these interactions through the analysis of 27 years of winter wheat trials, with 276 unique varieties tested across seven distinct soil types and more than 8000 plots. The study investigates how different winter wheat crop varieties respond to varying soil types and preceding crops. The findings revealed a significant interaction between variety, soil type, and preceding crop. With only a few exceptions, the highest-yielding varieties were predominantly the most recently developed. The ranking of the varieties exhibited inconsistency across the various soil types, implying that a variety yields differently when cultivated in different soil types. Furthermore, the influence of preceding crops on yield varied with soil type. This suggests that taking field-specific soil variation and the preceding crop into account during variety selection may improve the yield potential. Furthermore, the study highlights consistent yield increases due to advancements in breeding programs, with yearly increases ranging from 0.05 to 0.1 t/ha per year across all soil types. Integration of insights from genetics, soil attributes, and management practices demonstrates how farmers can increase productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is the most important factor limiting winter wheat yield in the North China Plain (NCP). Choosing high-yielding cultivars is an important measure to minimize the negative effects of drought stress. Field studies were conducted with 10 cultivars in the 2020–2022 seasons under three irrigation treatments (I0, without irrigation; I1, irrigated at jointing stage; I2, irrigated at jointing and anthesis stages) in the NCP to examine the water use strategies and root and shoot traits of high-yielding cultivars under different water supply conditions. The results showed that yield variation among cultivars was 21.2–24.6%, 23.7–25.9% and 11.6–15.3% for the I0, I1 and I2 treatments, respectively. Under water deficit conditions (I0 and I1), high-yielding cultivars reduced water use during vegetative stages and increased soil water use during reproductive stages, especially water use from deeper soil layers. Those cultivars with higher root length density (RLD) in deep soil layers exhibited higher water uptake. Each additional millimeter of water used after anthesis from the 100–200 cm soil layers increased grain yield by 23.6–29.6 kg/ha and 16.4–28.5 kg/ha under I0 and I1, respectively. This water use strategy enhanced dry matter accumulation after anthesis, decreased canopy temperature (CT) and increased relative leaf water contents (RLWC), which ultimately improved grain yield. For winter wheat grown under I2, cultivars that decreased water use after anthesis had higher water productivity (WP). Root length (RL), root weight (RW) and root:shoot ratio were each negatively correlated with grain yield, while above-ground biomass was positively correlated with grain yield. Therefore, higher dry matter accumulation and smaller root systems are two important traits of high-yielding cultivars under sufficient water supply conditions (I2) in the NCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A proper understanding of cultivar adaptation to different environments is of great relevance in agronomy and plant breeding. As wheat is the most important crop in Poland, with a total of about 22% of the total sown area, the study of its performance in environments with different productivity levels for consequent cultivar recommendation is of major importance. In this paper, we assess the relative performance of winter wheat cultivars in environments with different productivity and propose a method for cultivar recommendation, by considering the information of environmental conditions and drought stress. This is performed in the following steps: (1) calculation of expected wheat productivity, depending on environmental factors, (2) calculation of relative productivity of cultivars in the environments, and (3) recommendation of cultivars of a specific type and range of adaptation. Soil and weather conditions were confirmed as the most important factors affecting winter wheat yield. The weather factors should be considered rather in shorter (e.g., 10 day) than longer (e.g., 60 day) time periods and in relation to growth stages. The ANCOVA model with genotype and management intensity as fixed factors, and soil and weather parameters as covariates was proposed to assess the expected wheat productivity in particular environments and the expected performance of each genotype (cultivar). The recommendation of cultivars for locations of specified productivity was proposed based on the difference between the expected cultivar yield and the mean wheat productivity, and compared with the Polish official cultivar recommendation list. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The root system is the only vital organ for plants to connect with soil moisture and nutrients and obtain feedback information. This research aimed to explore the response of different spike type winter wheat varieties to plant and row spacing configurations. Multi-spike and large-spike winter wheat varieties were used as materials. By setting different plant row configurations and planting densities, the spatial and temporal distribution of root length density, root diameter, root dry weight density, and the main control factors of root growth and development of winter wheat during the whole growth period were studied. The results showed that the root system was the most widely distributed and the root diameter was the largest in the 0–40 cm soil depth, with an average root system diameter of more than 0.5 mm. The root length density and root diameter peaked at the heading stage, decreased at the maturity stage, and the root dry weight density peaked at the jointing stage. The jointing stage and heading stage are the most vigorous periods of root growth in winter wheat, when the center of gravity of root growth in winter wheat is gradually moving down. Therefore, the rapid growth and elongation time of a root system can be effectively prolonged at the jointing stage and heading stage, and the root growth rate can be improved. Promoting root thickening can effectively meet the needs for water and nutrients, for the formation and filling of aboveground plants and grains, in the later stage, which is conducive to the formation of aboveground dry matter production and final yield. The root distribution was greatest in the 0–60 cm soil depth, accounting for 95.13–97.84% of the total root length. After the heading stage occurs, the upper roots begin to decline in large quantities. Thus, the jointing stage and heading stage require fertilization and other farmland management operations to increase root nutrients for the ground parts and dry matter accumulation to provide sufficient nutrients so that the number of effective panicles, grain weight, and the number of spike grains coordinate to achieve the highest grain yield. Results showed that the highest yield can be achieved with the planting pattern X2M1. A comprehensive analysis showed that the genetic characteristics of winter wheat varieties were different, and there were some differences in the correlation between wheat yield and root system at the different growth stages. The correlation between the root parameters and yield of multi-spike winter wheat during the overwintering-jointing stage was obvious. For large-spike type winter wheat in the jointing stage, the yield correlation is most obvious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of stimulation preparations seems to be a promising means for mitigating the effects of abiotic and biotic stressors. Their significance includes plant organism stimulation and metabolism optimisation, water regime, and nutrition during periods of stress. They help bridge it over and create conditions for rapid regeneration. In a field experiment, the effect of the application of stimulation preparations on cultivars Triticum aestivum L. with different genetic composition was evaluated (donor of blue aleurone colour KM-72-18; donor of a multi-row spike (MRS) KM-94-18). Our results show a predominantly positive effect of the application of stimulants on the yield and thousand-grain weight (TKW). The results obtained were influenced by the year, based on different temperatures and precipitation. Higher yields were achieved in 2020 with higher total precipitation during the grain filling period and with a higher maximum quantum yield of the photosystem II (Fv/Fm). In 2019, this period was significantly dry and warm, which was reflected in a lower yield and TKM, higher proline content in the leaves, and lower Fv/Fm values. In both experimental years, there was a higher yield of the cultivar with blue aleurone (KM-72-18). In the case of cultivars with coloured grains, the promising use of the content substances in cultivars as natural means of increasing resistance to abiotic and biotic stressors seems to be promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of global warming on crop growth periods and yields has been evaluated by using crop models, which need to provide various kinds of input datasets and estimate numerous parameters before simulation. Direct studies on the changes of climatic factors on the observed crop growth and yield could provide a more simple and intuitive way for assessing the impact of climate change on crop production. In this study, four cultivars which were planted over more than 15 years in eight test stations in the Northern Winter Wheat Region of China were selected to investigate the relationships between growth periods, grain yields, yield components and temperatures. It was found that average temperatures and heat degree-days (HDD) during the winter wheat growing seasons tended to increase over time series at most study sites. The length of growth period and growing degree days (GDD) were not fixed for a given cultivar among different years and locations, and the variation on the periods from sowing to jointing was relatively greater than in the other periods. The increasing temperature mainly shortened the periods from sowing to jointing and jointing to anthesis, which led to the decrease in entire growth periods. Positive relationships between spike number, grain number per spike, grain yields and average temperatures were identified in the Northern Winter Wheat Region of China. The grain yield in the study area increased by 406.3 kg ha−1 for each 1 °C increase in average temperature. Further, although the positive relationship between grain yield and HDD was found in our study, the heat stress did not lead to the wheat yield decline in the study region. Temperature is a major determinant of wheat growth and development, the average temperature and the frequency of heat stresses are projected to increase in the future, so understanding the effect of temperature on wheat production and adopting appropriate adaptation are required for the implementation of food security policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of the study was to determine the biodiversity of bacteria and their metabolic profile in the rhizosphere of four winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties (Hondia, Nordkap, Rotax, Tytanika) cultivated in Haplic Podzol soil in a no-tillage system. Two techniques, i.e., next generation sequencing (NGS, meta-barcoding of 16S rRNA community) and community level physiological profiling (CLPP), were applied to obtain a holistic picture of biodiversity. The basic soil chemical parameters (acidity, redox potential, carbon content, forms of nitrogen, and phosphorus) were also determined. It was found that the rhizospheric microbiome (at the genus level) of cv. Hondia and Rotax were significantly different from that present in the other cultivars studied. The CLPP technique demonstrated that microbial metabolic activity depended on both the type of substrate and wheat cultivars. Carbohydrates and carboxylic acids were the most easily utilized compounds in all rhizospheric soils. The principal component analysis (PCA) evidenced that the rhizospheric soils of Rotax and Nordkap were characterized by a higher functional activity (strong correlation with the Shannon-Wiener index, the Richness index, and utilization of hydrocarbons) than those of Hondia and Tytanika. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As bakery products contribute considerably to the daily intake of the carcinogen acting substance acrylamide (AA), the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the management system (conventional vs. organic farming) on AA precursor levels of free asparagine (Asn) across different cultivars of the cereal species, namely winter wheat (Triticum aestivum), winter spelt (Triticum aestivum ssp. spelta) and winter rye (Secale cereale) with simultaneous consideration of gained grain yields and flour qualities. For this purpose, orthogonal field trials were established at two sites in Southwest Germany over two growing seasons (2006–2007 and 2007–2008). The results indicated a significant impact of the management system on free Asn contents in white flour. Across all species, free Asn contents in the white flour was 26% lower under organic compared to conventional farming. The impact of the management system on individual cultivars was obvious with a maximum reduction in free Asn contents of 50% in wheat cultivars if organically produced (e.g., for cultivars Ludwig, Privileg, Capo). For spelt, a significant impact of the management system was only found in 2008 with a reduction in free Asn of up to 25% if organically produced. Across both cropping systems, cultivar Franckenkorn reached the lowest levels of free Asn. For rye, a significant impact of the management system was observed only in 2007 with 33% higher Asn amounts in the conventional management system. Independent of the cropping system, rye reached the highest levels of free Asn followed by wheat and spelt. Depending on species, there was also an impact of the two systems on crude protein. The organically cropped wheat had a significantly lower level, but this was not observed for spelt and for rye only in 2007. The possible reason for the low free Asn content in the organically produced wheat flour could partially be the lower crude protein amount. Furthermore, the results indicated that lower AA contents in bakery products can be achieved by proper selection of species (e.g., 66% lower if rye is replaced by wheat) and cultivars. With an appropriate choice of the cultivar, a reduction of up to 65% was possible within wheat, along with a reduction of 44% within spelt and 12.5% within rye. In summary, the results indicated that organically produced wheat especially offers the opportunity to significantly lower the AA potential of bread and bread rolls by the choice of raw materials low in free Asn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultivar recommendation based on mean performance determined by multi-environment trials (METs) conducted on research stations could be unreliable and ineffective for assessing performance in farmers' fields. It is important to improve the efficiency of cultivar recommendation based on METs. For this purpose, it would be useful to validate recommendations based on yield data obtained directly from farmers, i.e., through surveys. The aim of this study was to discuss the possibility and statistical methodology of assessing cultivar performance patterns based on yield data obtained through farmer surveys. We suggest that this might be accomplished by assessing the conformity of yield ranking and yield performance patterns between MET and survey datasets in the same growing regions. As an example, we compare winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield data obtained from Polish farmers via surveys with data obtained via METs. In the METs, cultivars were evaluated at two levels of crop-management, a moderate-input management (MIM) system and a high-input management (HIM) system. Based on the yield evaluations in the current study, half of the agro-ecological regions had relatively high levels of consistency in yield rankings between the MET MIM system and survey yield dataset. This indicated a relatively high efficiency of cultivar recommendations based on METs in these regions, especially for the MIM system. For the HIM system, however, with the exception of one region, we observed a poor degree of consistency in cultivar ranking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]