Abstract:

To study the early maturity characteristics of spring wheat ‘Ningchun 48’, and provide a basis for breeding new spring wheat varieties with early maturing and high-yield in the irrigation districts along the Yellow River of Ningxia and utilizing the elite germplasm ‘Ningchun 48’, we studied the development progress, ear differentiation and grain filling characteristics of ‘Ningchun 48’, taking ‘Ningchun 4’, a local main late variety, as the control. The results showed that: ‘Ningchun 48’ matured 7 days earlier than ‘Ningchun 4’, it had short duration days of tillering and jointing stage, booting and heading stage, and the grouting duration days after heading and flowering was not shortened; ‘Ningchun 48’ had shorter ear length, fewer kernel number and spikelet number on account of the decrease of duration days of ear differentiation at single ridge stage, double ridges stage and floret primordium formation stage; ‘Ningchun 48’ started grouting earlier and the grouting days lasted longer, but the grouting rate was lower than that of ‘Ningchun 4’. It is suggested that the germplasm materials with early maturity, large spike, more grains per spike and high grouting rate should be selected for combination when ‘Ningchun 48’ is used as parent; during the selection process, by ensuring the early maturity and the long duration of grouting in the progeny materials, we should select the progeny materials with large spike, more grains per spike and high grouting rate.

Key words: spring wheat, early maturity, phase development, ear differentiation, grouting rate