Experimental demonstration of allometric invariance of plant response to density over the course of wheat domestication

Crop domestication and breeding have led to phenotypic changes, particularly in plant size. Allometric relationships – the link between trait and size– have been repeatedly described as invariant across taxa, suggesting strong constraints on phenotypic evolution. By analogy, artificial selection during domestication and breeding might have been strongly constrained by plant allometry, but an experimental test is lacking.
We used 39 genotypes representative of the four key stages (wild, first domesticated, landrace, and elite) of the evolutionary history of durum wheat. We grew them in pots as monogenotypic cultures, with increasing density from one to ten individuals. We measured biomass components and functional traits involved in plant competition to assess the response of genotypes to density. In response to density, wheat genotypes reduced their tillers number and flowered earlier. However, we showed invariant biomass-based responses to density across the different stages. Furt..., , # Experimental demonstration of allometric invariance of plant response to density over the course of wheat domestication

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.stqjq2cfb](10.5061/dryad.stqjq2cfb)

## Description of the data and file structure

We explore changes in size-density relationships and traits that contributed to increased productivity during domestication and breeding. We used a collection of 39 genotypes representative of the four key stages (wild, first domesticated, landrace and elite) of the evolutionary history of durum wheat. We grew them in pots as monogenotypic culture, with increasing density from one to ten individuals. We measured biomass components and functional traits involved in plant competition (height, tillers number, heading date) to assess the response of genotypes to density.

### Files and variables

#### File: density\_database\_wheat.xlsx

**Description:** 

##### Variables

* Genotype_number corresponds to INRAE number genotype.
* Compartment corresponds to the...,