Drought-resistant wheat cultivars boost N use efficiency and yield under dryland.
The study looked at how different types of wheat plants absorb and store nitrogen when grown in dry or irrigated conditions. They found that under dry conditions, wheat plants absorbed less nitrogen, especially in less drought-resistant varieties. Strong drought-resistant wheat plants were better at absorbing nitrogen before flowering and moving it to the grain, leading to higher wheat yields. This suggests that growing strong drought-resistant wheat varieties can improve nitrogen use efficiency and increase wheat production in dry conditions.