Combining ability effects for yield related traits can serve as selection criteria to pursue breeding for optimal biomass allocation in wheat (Triticum aestivum). The objective of this paper is to provide information based on a retrospective quantitative genetic analysis on combining ability studies of wheat for yield and yield-related traits to predict potential genetic gains achievable in improving biomass allocation for drought tolerance and soil carbon storage. The study compares data on the general combining ability and specific combining ability effects of wheat for yield and related traits under optimum and drought stressed conditions from 40 studies around the world. Days to heading (DTH), plant height (PH), number of tillers per plant (TN), kernels per spike (KPS), 1,000-kernel weight (TKW), shoot biomass (SB), and grain yield (GY) exhibited wide variation for general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability effects. Progeny performance increased by 14.30 and 4.04% for SB and GY, respectively, compared with parental values under optimum water conditions. Number of tillers and SB exhibited positive associations with GY (.45 ≤ r ≤ .85, p < .05) under both water conditions. Meta effect sizes for drought stress were negative. The highest meta-effect sizes were calculated for DTH (−4.5) followed by SB (−2.0), whereas KPS (−1.25) had the lowest. The genetic gains for PH, SB, and other yield components showed that divergent crosses involving complementary parents could enhance biomass allocation patterns in wheat. This could be used as a basis for improving biomass allocation to roots.

中文翻译：

---

小麦配合力对农艺性状和干旱适应影响的荟萃分析：优化生物量分配的意义

产量相关性状的组合能力效应可以作为选择标准来进行小麦生物量优化分配的育种（Triticum aestivum）。本文的目的是基于回顾性定量遗传分析提供有关小麦产量和产量相关性状组合能力研究的信息，以预测在改善耐旱性和土壤碳储存的生物量分配方面可实现的潜在遗传收益。该研究比较了来自全球 40 项研究的小麦在最佳和干旱胁迫条件下的一般配合力和特定配合力对产量和相关性状的影响的数据。抽穗天数 (DTH)、株高 (PH)、每株分蘖数 (TN)、每穗粒数 (KPS)、千粒重 (TKW)、枝条生物量 (SB) 和谷物产量 (GY)一般结合能力（GCA）和特定结合能力效应的广泛变化。SB 和 GY 的后代表现分别提高了 14.30 和 4.04%，分别与最佳水分条件下的亲本值进行比较。分蘖数和 SB 与 GY 呈正相关（0.45 ≤r ≤ .85, p  < .05) 在两种水条件下。干旱胁迫的元效应大小为负。计算 DTH (-4.5) 的最高元效应大小，其次是 SB (-2.0)，而 KPS (-1.25) 最低。PH、SB 和其他产量成分的遗传增益表明，涉及互补亲本的不同杂交可以增强小麦的生物量分配模式。这可以作为改善根系生物量分配的基础。