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Morpho-developmental Factors Related to Winter Survival of Wheat. I. Association of Characteristics of Dark Grown Seedlings and Winter Survival¹

We examined the relationship between morpho-developmental characteristics and winter wheat (Triticum afstivum L.) survival utilizing six diverse cultivars planted at five depths in a darkened controlled environment chamber.

Cultivars and planting depths differed significantly for coleoptile length, emergence rate index (ERI), seedling height, and subcrown internode length. The cultivar x depth interaction was significant only for ERI. ‘Froid,’ ‘Yogo,’ and ‘Crest’ had long coleoptiles, high ERI’s, and tall seedlings. MT6928, ‘Cheyenne,’ and ‘Itana’ had short coleoptiles, low ERI’s, and short seedlings. Froid and Yogo developed the shallowest crown nodes followed by Itana, MT6928, Cheyenne, and Crest in that order.

A significant correlation was noted between coleoptile length and ERI, but not between coleoptile length and mature plant height. Crest, a short cultivar, possesses long coleoptiles and rapid emergence, and should be a useful germplasm source for developing other short winter wheats with these characteristics.

The significant positive correlation (.86*) of subcrown internode length with field winter survival suggests that long subcrown internode lengths (or shallow crowns) are associated with higher levels of winter survival. The determination of long subcrown internode cultivars should be an effective winter survival selection method in winter wheat breeding programs developing cultivars for environments similar to those of Montana.

Key Words: Coleoptile length • Emergence rate index • Seedling height • Subcrown internode length • Winter wheat selection • Triticum aestivum L.

² Lecturer in Crop Science, Department of Crop Science, University of Zambia, Lusaka (formerly Research Assistant at Montana State University) and Associate Professor of Agronomy, Plant and Soil Science Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59715.

Received for publication April 5, 1973.