The Response of Wheat with Different Allele Statuses of the Gpc-B1 Gene under Zinc Deficiency

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of zinc (Zn) deficiency on the growth and grain yield of wheat with different allele statuses of the Gpc-B1 gene. For this research, common wild emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides (Koern. ex Asch. &Graebn.) Schweinf.), bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Festivalnaya), and two intogressive lines were used. T. dicoccoides and introgressive line 15-7-1 carry a functional allele of the Gpc-B1 gene, while the T. aestivum cv. Festivalnaya and introgressive line 15-7-2 carry the non-functional Gpc-B1 allele. Zn deficiency did not affect the shoot height or fresh weight of any of the studied plants. The only exception was T. dicoccoides, where a small decrease in shoot height was registered. Additionally, under Zn deficiency T. dicoccoides had an increase in flag leaf area, spike length, and dry weight, as well as in grain number and grain yield per spike. The other variants did not experience changes in the above-described parameters under Zn deficiency. Under Zn deficiency, the Zn concentration in the grains was higher in the plants with a functional allele of the Gpc-B1 gene compared to the plants with a non-functional allele. These results show that wheat with a functional allele of the Gpc-B1 gene growing under Zn deficiency is capable of grain production with a sufficient Zn concentration without a decrease in yield.