The document summarizes a project aimed at developing methods for reliable high-throughput phenotyping of wheat traits related to drought tolerance. The project objectives are to 1) develop and validate field-based phenotyping systems to estimate crop water use, 2) assess the impact of drought tolerance traits in different environments, and 3) characterize traits that underpin drought adaptation in elite wheat lines. Activities include phenotyping protocols, multi-site trials of diverse lines, and training workshops. Preliminary results found some lines performed well across environments. The project aims to identify drought tolerance traits and select tools to help breeders in drought-prone regions.

1. Phenotyping for Drought Traits in Wheat
Francis Ogbonnaya/Fernanda Dreceer
GCP AGM 21-25 Sept 2011

2. Outline of Presentation
GCP AGM 21-25 Sept 2011
Background
Objectives
Activities
Team
Some results

3. Background
GCP AGM 21-25 Sept 2011
There have been various project attempts aimed at improving
adaptation to drought.
However, at the field level, advances are limited by:
i. The lack of methods for reliable high-throughput
phenotyping that allow season-long monitoring of
complex traits (e.g. crop water status or use)
(Different technologies are around and used ad hoc, with
no systematic calibration or link between them or with
other soil, weather and ancillary crop info)
ii. knowledge on which traits and trait combinations are
most relevant to different patterns of drought;
(fragmentary, poor quantification across different mega-
environments)
In addition:
It would be useful to know which traits underpin
performance of already successful germplasm under
drought, such as elite ICARDA germplasm.

4. Objectives
GCP AGM 21-25 Sept 2011
1. Develop and validate a field-based, low-cost, high
throughput phenotyping system with the purpose of
estimating patterns of crop water use on a seasonal basis
2. Make progress towards assessing the relative impact of
putative key traits on drought adaptation by comparing
related lines contrasting in trait value in different drought
mega-environments.
3. Develop a better understanding of the potential value of
ICARDA elite drought adapted lines and the traits
underpinning them in contrasting drought environments
(all project lines will be genotyped using SSR markers
from the GCP genetic diversity kit).
4. Build capability in non-invasive phenotyping methods
related to drought tolerant traits and the estimated value
of different traits, particularly within the Central and
West Asia and North Africa.

5. Activities
GCP AGM 21-25 Sept 2011
Progress
towards
knowledge on
trait impact on
yield under
different types
of drought
Activity 1
Activity 3Activity 2
Activity 4
Site characterisation
Phenotypic screen
development and
validation
Season long
phenotypic signature
Trait comparison-
phenotyping
Capability building CWANA region
Characterisation
ICARDA lines
Traits
underpinning
drought
adaptation in
ICARDA lines
Trained human
resources in
selection tools
and traits in
CWANA region
Selection tools:
high
throughput
phenotyping
protocols
Products

6. Partners are based in contrasting
drought mega-environments
GCP AGM 21-25 Sept 2011
Obregon,
Mexico
Kulumsa and Dhera,
Ethiopia
Gatton and
Temora,
Australia
Sidi el Aydi,
Morocco
Tel Hadya and
Hassakieh,
Syria
Summer dominant rainfall
Winter dominant rainfall
Uniform rainfall

7. Activities
CAIGE meeting
Adelaide March 11, 2011
GCP AGM 21-25 Sept 2011
• Plant Materials- 200 wheat lines, including 47 to 72 contrasts for
known traits – such as early vigour, transpiration efficiency, stem
soluble carbohydrates, stay green, etc.
•Environmental Characterisation- soil and weather characterisation
per site
•Phenotyping protocols - Common protocols were agreed on for
three areas of research activities: screen development, trait
comparison and characterisation
•Project Workshop - training meeting held in Aleppo May 2010
•Data Management – Translational data base where data are being
collated

8. Activities
20-25 field trials between 2010 to 2011
Characterized with molecular markers
At least 3 -4 tentative papers
Germplasm in national variety trials
Future MARS tool - ICARDA

9. Traits
YLD
Yield in Kg by hectare
BIO Biomass
HI Harvest index
TR Threshing index
TKW Thousand Kernel weight
PH Plant height
DH Date to heading
DM Date to maturity
DB Days to booting
DA Days to Anthesis
DT
Days to tillering
SEARF11
PM21
Number of plants, 1 week after emergence (m-
2) Merc11
GFP Grain filling period (or duration GFD)
GCZ22 Ground cover at Zadoc scale 22
GCT Ground cover at Tillering
GCSE Ground cover at Stem elongation
GCET Ground cover at early tillering
GCZ12 Ground cover at Zadoc scale 12
GCET Ground Cover at early tillering
GCLT Ground Cover at late tillering
VIGE Vigor early
VIGET Vigor at early tillering
VIGLT Vigor at late tillering
VIGSE Vigor at stem elongation
VIGZ12
Vigor at Zadoc scale12
SL Spike length
PL Peduncle length
SPM2 Number of spike per meter square
KM2 Number of kernel by meter square
KWM2 Kernel weight per meter square
KSPK
Number of kernel per spike
PW1D 1 Dcm weight from Peduncle
SKW Sample kernel weight
SB Sample biomass
SSN Sample Spike number
SKN Sample kernel number
NDVI 1 NDVI 4days after heading
NDVI 2 NDVI 15days after heading
NDVI 3 NDVI25days after heading
NDVI 4 NDVI 34days after heading
SPAD1 SPAD 8 daya after heading
SPAD2 SPAD 15 daya after heading
SPAD3 SPAD 23 daya after heading
SW stem Wax
LW Leaf Wax
LR Leaf rolling
LD32DAH Leaves death 32 Days after heading
LD40DAH Leaves death 40 Days after heading
CTH Canopy Temperature 14-4 at Heading
ATH Air Temperature 14-4 at heading
DTH DIF (AIR T -Canopy T) 14-4 at heading
CTBGF Canopy temperature at begining of grain filling 21-4
ATBGF Air Temperature 21-4 at begining of grain filling
DTBGF DIF (AIR T -Canopy T) 21-4 at begining of grain filling
CTEGF Canopy temperature at Late of grain filling 4-5
ATEGF Air Temperature 4-5 at Late of grain filling
DTEGF DIF (AIR T -Canopy T) 4-5 at Late of grain filling
FLA Flag leaf Area
FLL Flag leaf length
FLW Flag leaf width
DLW Dry weight Flag leaf
SLW Specific leaf weight
CTMGF Canopy temperature at the MID grain filling TH10
CTEGF Canopy temperature at the end of grain filling TH10
CTTL Canopy temperature at Tillering
CTBT Canopy temperature at booting
SPAD SPAD
CTBGF Canopy temperature at begining of grain filling
CTMGF Canopy temperature at mid- grain filling
CTEGF Canopy temperature at the end of grain filling
TP Tipping percentage
TD Tipping damage

10. Impact-Is GCP germplasm useful for NARs?
GCP AGM 21-25 Sept 2011
Environment Mean 1 2 3 4
BR11 2760 AUS30355 CHAM-6/SHUHA-14/73 DOBUC-1/FOW-2/125 KHATWA-4
ETHDH09 335 SsrT16 KHATWA-4 DOBUC-1/FOW-2/125 CHAM-6/SHUHA-14/73
ETHDH10 2249 SsrT16 KHATWA-4 DOBUC-1/FOW-2/125 CHAM-6/SHUHA-14/73
ETHML09 749 SsrT16 KHATWA-4 DOBUC-1/FOW-2/125 CHAM-6/SHUHA-14/73
ETHML10 2311 AUS30355 KHATWA-4 SsrT16 DOBUC-1/FOW-2/125
MERC11 3215 VOROBEY CHAM-6/SHUHA-14/19 DOUMA-4 NEJMAH-16
SEAIRR10 1878 AUS30355 SHIHAB-12 AUS30354 KAUZ'S'/PREW
SEAIRR11 4225 SHIHAB-12 KOUKAB-2 SOKOLL MOOWAFAQ-3
SEARF10 1788 AUS30355 VOROBEY ATTILA-7 CHAM-6/SHUHA-14/19
SEARF11 4473 SsrT16 CHAM-6/SHUHA-14/19 NEJMAH-16 ATTILA-7
TH10 2995 AUS30355 CHAM-6/SHUHA-14/73 DOBUC-1/FOW-2/125 KHATWA-4
TH11 3259 AUS30355 CHAM-6/SHUHA-14/73 KHATWA-4 DOBUC-1/FOW-2/125

11. Meeting Aleppo May 2010: meeting and
training, protocol agreement
GCP AGM 21-25 Sept 2011

12. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Funding Agencies Collaborators
Breeders:
Osman Abdalla
Greg Rebetzke
Richard Richards
David Bonnett
Matthew Reynolds
Richard Trethowan,

13. Thanks
ICARDA