Root and Shoot Biomass Variation In the Spring Bread Wheat Cultivar Pavon and Its' near -Isogenic Lines 1RS.1AL, 1RS.1BL &1RS.1DL In Organic and Synthetic Fertiliser Systems.

The rye-chromosome arm (1RS) translocation in the spring bread wheat cultivar Pavon has been reported to increase root mass, shoot biomass, and grain yield. On this premise, the spring bread wheat variety Pavon and three of its near isogenic lines 1RS.1AL, 1RS.1BL and 1RS.1DL were evaluated in a field experiment at the University of Arizona’s Maricopa Ag center from 2009 to 2010. The genotypes were grown in synthetic and organic nitrogen (N) fertilizer systems, each consisting of a high and low rate. Root and shoot biomass were measured for one isogenic line 1RS.1AL and the parent line Pavon at the crop’s flag leaf, anthesis and maturity stages while yield attributes for all four genotypes were evaluated at harvest. The genotype 1RS.1AL had higher root and shoot biomass at the crop’s flag leaf and physiological maturity than the parent line Pavon.  Results also showed that the near isogenic line 1RS.1BL had significantly higher shoot biomass and grain yield at physiological maturity of all four genotypes evaluated, regardless of the nature and rate of fertilizer applications. These results indicate that the rye- chromosome arm could be used to improve wheat growth and yield.