Grain weight response to increases in number of grains in wheat in a Mediterranean area

This study explored whether the average grain weight of wheat tends to be reduced when grain number is increased due to either competition or, to a consistent increase in the relative proportion of grains of smaller weight potential. Three field experiments considering environmental, genetic and environmental x genetic effects on yield and its main components were analysed during the 2003/2004 growing season in two different locations within the Mediterranean area of Catalonia, Spain. The relationship between grain weight and number of grains per unit land area was analysed for both the average of all grains (AGW) and for grains in specific positions of the main-shoot spikes: proximal (CPg) and distal (CDg) grains of central spikelets, and proximal grains of the near apical (APg) and near basal (BPg) spikelets. The proportional contribution of grains per spike for the different grain positions and the relative contribution of spikes per m(2) made by the main shoot or tillers were also examined. In the three experiments, AGW was reduced when grain number was increased due to genetic and/or environmental factors. However, the slopes of the straight-lines that represented the negative relationship between grain number and grain weight were lower (less negative) and less significant for CPg (b = -0.20, P > 0.20), CDg (b = 0.06, P > 0.20) and BPg (b = -0.21, P > 0.20) than for AGW (b = -0.40, P < 0.05). The proportional contribution of distal grains and tiller spikes (both with relatively light grains) were directly related to grain number increases. Therefore, as grain number increased there was a higher proportion of grains of low potential weight. Thus, the average grain weight was concomitantly reduced when grain number increased by increasing the proportion of "small grains" in the canopy independently of any competitive relationship between growing grains. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.