Impact of Spring Wheat Rooting Depth on Sustainable Water Use Under Current and Future Climates.

Rooting depth is an important trait for conferring resistance to drought and high temperature stress.  However, the long-term impact of deeper rooting on sustainable water use has not been characterized.  In the present study, simulation modeling was used to quantify the interaction between rooting depth and sustainable water use under present and future climate.  The CSM-CERES-Wheat model with two potential evapotranspiration methods was used to simulate autumn-sown spring wheat growth and water use at 1296 locations globally across regions classified as high-yielding, water-limited, and subject to high-temperature stress.  Regional differences in sustainable water use for both current and future climate scenarios will be presented and the development of climate-informed, trait-based breeding targets for mid-century will be discussed.