Abstract:
Objectives This study explored the effect of spraying KH2PO4 on alleviating the damage of heat stress on weight formation of superior and inferior grains.
Methods A field experiment was conducted using a semi-winter wheat cultivar Annong0711 as experimental material. Four spraying treatments were setup, including: water (SW), water+heat stress (SW+HT), 0.3% KH2PO4 (KDP) and 0.3% KH2PO4+heat stress (KDP+HT). Spraying treatment was conducted on the 3rd and 11th day after anthesis, and heat stress treatments were made by shelting wheat with plastic film between 11:00 and 16:00 during post-anthesis 20−24 day. Flag leaf SPAD, soluble sugar and sucrose content were measured at the 19 d (before hot stress), 24 d (after hot stress), and maturing stage, and the starch accumulation and weight of superior and inferior grains were measured.
Results Hot stress significantly reduced flag leaf chlorophyll content, while KDP mitigated the decline and maintained higher chlorophyll levels until maturing stage. Compared to SW, KDP treatment was recorded significantly higher soluble sugar and sucrose content in flag leaves and stems + sheaths before and after hot stress (P<0.05), and the amylose, amylopectin and total starch content in both superior and inferior grains, regardless of hot stress. Hot stress significantly decreased amylopectin content, with a greater reduction in inferior grains, and KDP reduced the starch content decrease under hot stress. Heat stress significantly decreased the average grain-filling rate after the hot stress period, with a larger decline in inferior grains than in superior grains. KDP significantly improved grain-filling rates in the late grain-filling stage, resulting in a notable increase in grain weight, with a greater enhancement observed inferior grains compared to superior grains. Compared to SW+HT, SW, KDP and KDP+HT treatments increased grain yield at maturity by 9.46%, 11.06%, and 16.79%, respectively.
Conclusions Hot stress weakens wheat's photosynthetic and material production capacity, inhibits grain filling rates, especially that inferior grains, and ultimately reduces grain weight and yield. Post-anthesis foliar application of 0.3% KH2PO4 helps delay the senescence of flag leaf under heat stress, maintain the supply of photosynthetic assimilates, and improve grain-filling capacities of both superior and inferior grains, narrows the lag between superior and inferior grains weight formation, thereby increasing overall grain yield.