Winter wheat exudates : Improving wheats resilience to drought

Abstract: Wheat (Triticum aestivum) is a crop that dominates the diets of about 35% of the world's human population. But wheat yields can be severely affected by drought. Therefore, in this experiment, root exudation of winter wheat was compared to find out how exudation changes during drought stress. This was done by using control plants that were compared to plants that experienced 8 days of drought and subsequently, 3 days of rewetting. Moreover, it was explored which one of two wheat genotypes, Capo or Aristaro, is better adapted to drought by measuring plant physiology and if beneficial rhizosphere microorganisms could help alleviate drought in wheat. Exudations were analysed using a photometer. It was found that drought and rewetting treatment influenced shoot dry weight, shoot water content, relative chlorophyll, as well as exuded phenols, sugars and amino acids. Aristaro was found to be more drought tolerant, because Aristaro plants had higher and more stable shoot water content, lower non-photochemical quenching (NPQ(T)), and exuded more phenols and amino acids, which could help recruit plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria. However, Capo might be able to avoid drought through early maturity and can therefore be used in regions where drought occurs later in the year. The implications of this experiment are therefore useful for improving wheats resilience to drought and food security with use of microorganisms.