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Increasing temperature during early spring increases kernel number per spike of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by prolonging spike differentiation and increasing water soluble carbohydrate accumulation

Haiwang Yu1, 2, Guangzhou Liu1, Xiaoyu Li1, Yanhong Cui1, Zhen Gao1#, Xiong Du1#

1 State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/Key Laboratory of North China Water-Saving Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Crop Growth Regulation of Hebei Province/College of Agronomy, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China

2 State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology and College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China

 Highlights 

1 Early spring warming enhances photosynthetic area, securing assimilate supply to the wheat spike.

2 Sufficient water-soluble carbohydrates and suitable hormone levels promote spike development.

3 Early spring warming increased number of fertile florets and spikelets, thereby increasing kernel number per spike.

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摘要  

早春期间气候变暖通常可增加华北地区冬小麦的穗粒数(KNS),但其潜在的生理机制尚不清楚。因此,我们在2020-2023连续三个生长季早春(越冬后期)利用可移动聚乙烯温室开展田间增温试验。增温处理(WT)使小麦返青提前,并降低了后续生育期的日均温(DMT),返青-成熟的DMTCK降低1.4-1.9℃相应地,WT延长了冬小麦的穗分化时长和活跃生长期,并显著提高了穗长、旗叶面积及叶面积指数。WT明显增加了旗叶和幼穗中吲哚-3-乙酸和赤霉素A3含量,并降低了脱落酸含量。此外,WT增加了不同器官的水溶性碳水化合物(WSC)含量,并显著增强了干物质积累(DMA)和营养器官同化物对籽粒的贡献率。相较于CKWT使可育小穗数(NFS)、可育小花数(NFF)和KNS分别显著提高了9.1-19.5%6.8-8.4%17.1-18.9%。总而言之,WT通过延长冬小麦活跃生长期和穗分化时时长、增加光合面积和调控激素水平,从而提高穗部的WSCDMA,促进穗部发育和分化,最终显著增加了KNS。本研究为气候变暖背景下华北平原的小麦穗粒数形成提供了新见解。



Abstract  

Climate warming during early spring usually increases the kernel number per spike (KNS) of winter wheat in North China. However, the underlying physiological mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, field warming experiments were conducted in early spring (late wintering period) using mobile plastic greenhouses for three consecutive growing seasons from 2020 to 2023. Warming treatment (WT) advanced wheat regreening and reduced the daily mean temperature (DMT) during subsequent growth stages, with a decrease of 1.4–1.9 °C from regreening to maturity compared to CK. Consequently, WT extended the duration of spike differentiation and the active growth period of winter wheat, significantly increased spike length, flag leaf area, and leaf area index. WT exhibited increased contents of indole-3-acetic acid and gibberellin A3 along with decreased abscisic acid levels in both flag leaves and spikes. Furthermore, WT increased the content of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) of different organs, which significantly enhanced the dry matter accumulation (DMA) and the contribution rate of stored assimilates in vegetative organs to grains. Compared to CK, WT led to significant increases of the number of fertile spikelets (NFS), fertile florets (NFF), and KNS by 9.1–19.5%, 6.8–8.4%, and 17.1–18.9%, respectively. In conclusion, WT extended the active growth period and spike differentiation duration of winter wheat, increased photosynthetic area, and regulated hormone levels, thereby increasing WSC and DMA in the spike. These promoted spike development and differentiation, ultimately significantly increase KNS. These findings provide new insights into the wheat KNS formation in the North China Plain under climate warming.

 

Keywords:  early spring warming       water soluble carbohydrate       hormones       spike differentiation       kernel number per spike  
Online: 22 December 2025  
Fund: This work was supported National Key R&D Program of China (2023YFD2301500).
About author:  Haiwang Yu, E-mail: yhw2020_02@163.com; #Correspondence Xiong Du, Tel: +86-13803278653, E-mail: duxiong@hebau.edu.cn; Zhen Gao, E-mail: gaozhenvision@163.com

Cite this article: 

Haiwang Yu, Guangzhou Liu, Xiaoyu Li, Yanhong Cui, Zhen Gao, Xiong Du. 2025. Increasing temperature during early spring increases kernel number per spike of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by prolonging spike differentiation and increasing water soluble carbohydrate accumulation. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, Doi:10.1016/j.jia.2025.12.034

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