Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41457270›Full record

ArticleBMC plant biology2025

Genetic basis of flag leaf thickness and its contribution to yield in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Yanan Niu, Qixiang Huang, Huankun Yang, Tianxiao Chen, Chenchen Zhao, Fei Zheng, Chunji Liu, Haiyan Hu, Guoping Zhang, Lingzhen Ye and 1 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in BMC plant biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Yanan NiuDepartment of Agronomy, Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Resource of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Qixiang HuangDepartment of Agronomy, Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Resource of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Huankun YangDepartment of Agronomy, Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Resource of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Tianxiao ChenTasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 1375, Prospect, Launceston, TAS, 7250, Australia.
Chenchen ZhaoTasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 1375, Prospect, Launceston, TAS, 7250, Australia.
Fei ZhengPlanting Industry Technology Promotion Center of Jintan District, Changzhou, Jiangsu, 213200, China.
Chunji LiuSchool of Agriculture, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan, 453003, China.
Haiyan HuSchool of Agriculture, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan, 453003, China.
Guoping ZhangDepartment of Agronomy, Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Resource of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Lingzhen YeDepartment of Agronomy, Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Resource of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Meixue ZhouTasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 1375, Prospect, Launceston, TAS, 7250, Australia. meixue.zhou@utas.edu.au.

Funding

Zhejiang Science and Technology Major Program on Agricultural New Variety Breeding (2021C02064-3)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPrevious studies on leaf morphological traits are predominantly focused on flag leaf length (FLL), width (FLW), and area (FLA), which are known to affect light interception. However, limited research has addressed on flag leaf thickness (FLT) and its intricate relationship with various yield components. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of FLT in determining photosynthetic capacity and yield potential in wheat. Understanding the genetic regulation of FLT and its interactions with other morphological traits is essential for developing wheat varieties with higher yield potential. Due to the technical difficulties of directly measuring FLT, earlier studies have typically relied on indirect methods.

resultsIn contrast, this study directly measured FLT across 194 doubled haploid lines, aiming to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with these traits and yield components, and to clarify their relationships. The results showed that flag leaf traits were positively correlated with spike length (SL), grain number per spike (GNS), thousand-grain weight (TGW), grain length (GL), grain width (GW), grain thickness (GT), and average seed area (ASA). The major QTL for FLT (Qflt-5 A) was located in the similar regions to those for FLL (Qfll-5 A), GW (Qgw-5 A), and GT (Qgt-5 A). FLT had a larger contribution to GW and GT than other flag leaf traits. Neixiang 5 alleles Qflt3D.1 and Qflt5A, associated with thicker flag leaf led to higher yield potential. Six genes within the major QTL intervals were identified as candidate genes for flag leaf traits.

conclusionsTargeted pyramiding of genetic loci governing FLT represents a promising breeding strategy. Its potential to boost wheat productivity would be mediated through optimized photosynthetic capacity, though the functional significance of this relationship awaits direct physiological validation.

Indexed as

Plant LeavesQuantitative Trait LociTriticumChromosome MappingPhenotypeCandidate genesFlag leafGenetic analysisQuantitative trait loci (QTL)Yield potential

Identifiers

PMID41457270
PMCPMC12859943

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