Wheat Yield Progress Associated with Higher Stomatal Conductance and Photosynthetic Rate, and Cooler Canopies

Grain yields of eight representative semidwarf spring wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars released in northwest Mexico between 1962 and 1988 have increased linearly across years as measured in this region during 6 yr under favorable management and irrigation. To understand the physiological basis of this progress and possibly assist future selection for grain yield, leaf traits were determined during 3 yr in the same study. Stomatal conductance ( g s ), maximum photosynthetic rate (A max , and canopy temperature depression (CTD), averaged over the 3 yr, were closely and positively correlated with progress in the 6‐yr mean yield. The correlation was greatest with g s ( r = 0.94, P < 0.01). Compared with the overall yield increase of 27%, g s increased 63%, A max increased 23%, and canopies were 0.6°C cooler. Carbon‐13 isotope discrimination was also positively associated with yield progress ( r = 0.71, P < 0.05), but other leaf traits such as flag leaf area, specific leaf weight, percentage N and greeness were not, nor was crop growth rate around anthesis. The causal basis of the leaf activity interrelationships is reasonably clear, with both increased intercellular CO 2 concentration and increased mesophyll activity contributing to the increase in A max . However, causal links to the yield progress, and the accompanying increase in kernels per square meter, are not clear. It is concluded that g s and CTD should be further investigated as potential indirect selection criteria for yield.