Screening for drought resistance in cereals: A soil science perspective

Sojka, R.E. and Bauer, A. (1988) Screening for drought resistance in cereals: A soil science perspective. Plant Genetics and Breeding Review. 1(1):55-63.

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Abstract

Man's appreciation for the relationship between water and crop production predates
recorded history, and has been linked to the rise of most of the world's ancient
civilizations. In the early 18th century A.D. the English clergyman Stephen Hale attempted
to quantify effects of environmental variation on plant water use and growth1. The
formulation of Mendel's laws of heredity, and Wollny's establishment of the first modern
principles of soil physics, both late in 19th century, set the stage for the 20th century's
assault on drought susceptibility of crops.

Unlike breeding for such relatively simple traits as color, size, morphology, or even
pest resistance, breeding for drought resistance has proven substantially more elusive.
This results principally from the dynamic interaction of many hereditary and
environmental factors which together bring about the plant processes and conditions that
result in quantity and quality of growth and yield2. Furthermore, the breeding effort may
be hampered by a continuing failure to distinguish between drought resistance per se and
the collection of traits that can be associated with drought resistance3. This difficulty
reflects what is perhaps a more fundamental dilemma, namely the lack of a universally
accepted definition of drought resistance. The authors would also point out the need to
assess soil-derived sources of variability in field evaluation of cereal responses to drought.

Item Type:	Article
NWISRL Publication Number:	0688
Subjects:	Irrigated crops > Small grain Mass Import - autoclassified (may be erroneous)
Depositing User:	Dan Stieneke
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2010 21:53
Last Modified:	03 Jan 2017 21:04
Item ID:	523
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/523