Thirty years of genetic progress combined with seed ethylene priming improved drought resistance of wheat through long-term drought stress memory

Abstract Knowledge of short-term physiological adaption of wheat to soil water deficit is well understood, but little is known about seed ethylene priming effect on long-term drought stress memory of dryland winter wheat. The 42 leading and new cultivars released between 1992 to 2017 were subjected to drought (45% Field water-holding capacity), and well-watered (75% Field water-holding capacity) conditions aim to screen cultivars with contrasting drought resistance and grain yield. Seeds primed with ethylene were subjected to both PEG-8000 and pure water to uncover ethylene-induced stress memory at both physiological and organ levels. Results showed that the soil water deficit (45%FC) that occurred at the tillering stage resulted in 3.2% to 67.4% yield loss for 42 cultivars, which was determined mainly by the decrease in the fertile spike. Seed ethylene priming maintained leaf water by reducing root volume and dry weight, which played a crucial role in drought avoidance. Seed ethylene priming decreased malondialdehyde content by regulating auxin and abscisic acid signaling, reactive oxygen species scavenging capability, and osmotic regulation, which plays a crucial role in drought tolerance. Seed ethylene priming improved drought tolerance of the wheat through metabolic modification of carbon metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis . The seed ethylene priming induced long-term stress memory that improved tillering capacity and reduced wheat spikelets abortion, which provided extra 0.3 t ha -1 of grain yield. These results suggested that seed ethylene priming allowed the recall of long-lasting stress defensive memory, increasing grain yield by both drought avoidance and drought tolerance.