Genetic inheritance of leaf rolling as an adaptive trait for fog capture and drought tolerance in wheat

Authors

• SABAH MERRIUM, Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS-University of Agriculture, Multan, PakistanFollow
• ZULFIQAR ALI, Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS-University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan ; Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan; Programs and Projects Department, Islamic Organization for Food Security, Mangilik Yel Ave. Astana, Republic of KazakhstanFollow
• LATIFA AlHUSNAIN, Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaFollow
• MUNEERA D.F. ALKAHTANI, Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaFollow
• SADIA HAKEEM, Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS-University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan; Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Cotton Research Institute Multan, Punjab, PakistanFollow
• SAJID FIAZ, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan; Life Sciences Research Center, Western Caspian University, AzerbaijanFollow
• MUHAMMAD ALI SHER, Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS-University of Agriculture, Multan, PakistanFollow
• KOTB A. ATTIA, Center of Excellence in Biotechnology Research, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaFollow
• SEUNG HWAN YANG, Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Chonnam, Yeosu, South KoreaFollow
• MUHAMMAD ABU BAKAR SADDIQUE, Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS-University of Agriculture, Multan, PakistanFollow
• MUHAMMAD HAMMAD NADEEM TAHIR, Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS-University of Agriculture, Multan, PakistanFollow

Abstract

Wheat is a primary source of sustenance for around 2 billion people worldwide; however, its production is threatened by the water scarcity associated with climate change. In the search for climate-smart wheat varieties, atmospheric moisture in the form of fog and dew is gaining attention as a sustainable, self-irrigating water source for crops. Leaf rolling (LR) is a well-known adaptive trait under water deficit conditions that supports fog moisture capture in wheat; however, little is known about its genetic potential and inheritance pattern, particularly given its high environmental influence. This study assesses the genetic heritability, combining ability, and diversity of LR among diverse wheat genotypes. Fifteen wheat genotypes identified in a previous research were evaluated for LR, soil moisture difference (MD), and cumulative drought stress responsive index (CDSRI), and fog-capturing and noncapturing genotypes were compared. Among the analyzed genotypes, F2-109 and A-46, exhibiting twisted type LR, were identified with 2% MD and >10 CDSRI values. Subsequently, the effects of static contact angle (SCA) and leaf runoff were assessed for five drought-tolerant and fog-capturing types and three drought-susceptible types. It was found that genotypes with low SCA (70–100°), and high MD (>2%) and leaf runoff (2 mL) captured more water within the root zone, attributed to the twisted-type LR. These five lines and three testers were hybridized following a line × tester mating approach, and heritability, combination ability, and other genetic parameters were computed. The lines accounted for 63% of the total variance in LR, 50% in water use efficiency, and 53% in grain yield. The high narrow sense heritability (18.5%) estimates for LR and physiological traits were indicative of additive gene action, supporting their selection for improvement. This identification of leaf traits that contribute to water use efficiency supports the development of climate-smart wheat varieties for arid and semiarid regions.

Author ORCID Identifier

SABAH MERRIUM: 0000-0002-6221-2143

ZULFIQAR ALI: 0000-0003-1228-3338

LATIFA AlHUSNAIN: 0000-0002-5076-0396

MUNEERA D.F. ALKAHTANI: 0000-0002-5647-1237

SADIA HAKEEM: 0000-0001-9409-2281

SAJID FIAZ: 0000-0001-9097-4359

MUHAMMAD SHER: 0000-0003-2262-6445

KOTB A. ATTIA: 0000-0002-2992-1765

SEUNG HWAN YANG: 0000-0003-0603-2209

MUHAMMAD SADDIQUE: 0000-0001-8107-0833

MUHAMMAD TAHIR: 0000-0002-4988-9061

DOI

10.55730/1300-011X.3490

Keywords

Air-moisture harvesting, climate-smart, combining ability, line × tester, self-irrigation, heritability, genetic variance

First Page

595

Last Page

607

Publisher

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

MERRIUM, S, ALI, Z, AlHUSNAIN, L, ALKAHTANI, M, HAKEEM, S, FIAZ, S, SHER, M. A, ATTIA, K, YANG, S, SADDIQUE, M. A, & TAHIR, M. H (2026). Genetic inheritance of leaf rolling as an adaptive trait for fog capture and drought tolerance in wheat. Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry 50 (5): 595-607. https://doi.org/10.55730/1300-011X.3490