This study analyzed the changes in yield and quality of the approved weak gluten wheat varieties in China over the past two decades, along with the correlations among key agronomic and quality traits, to clarify the trend of yield and quality during variety replacement. The findings provide references for breeding high yield and high quality weak gluten wheat and innovating cultivation practices. Data on yield and quality were systematically collected from 174 released weak gluten wheat varieties across China's major wheat-producing provinces and municipalities from 2000 to 2024. Based on the winter wheat production zoning, these varieties were classified into those from the Yangtze River winter wheat area and the Southwest winter wheat area. The yield, yield components, and quality traits were evaluated. Results showed that the number of approved weak gluten wheat varieties exhibited a fluctuating upward trend, with 71 and 103 varieties approved in the Yangtze River winter wheat area and Southwest winter wheat area, respectively, averaging 3.55 and 5.15 varieties per year. Yield and quality traits demonstrated areal differences. The varieties in Yangtze River winter wheat area had a higher average yield, though it showed a declining trend over time. In contrast, the varieties in Southwest winter wheat area displayed a consistent annual increase in yield, with an average rise of 0.01 t·hm-2 each year. In terms of quality, the Yangtze River winter wheat area experienced significant annual reductions in both protein content and wet gluten content, with average decrease rates of 0.06% and 0.20%, respectively. The Southwest winter wheat area showed annual increases of 0.05% and 0.06% in these two indicators. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between spike number, thousand-grain weight and yield in both areas. The protein content of weak gluten wheat is significantly positively correlated with the wet gluten content. In the Yangtze River winter wheat area, spike number was identified as a key determinant of high yield. Enhancing the number of grains per spike and thousand-grain weight through breeding and agronomic measures could further increase yield. In the Southwest winter wheat area, efforts should focus on increasing spike number while optimizing crop management practices to improve processing quality, thereby achieving simultaneous improvements in both yield and quality.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |