Hendriks, Pieter-WillemGurusinghe, SaliyaRebetzke, GregWeston, Leslie2025-01-1420232025-01-142023-11https://hdl.handle.net/10182/17958Weeds are a major biotic stressor impacting successful crop production. Improving competitiveness of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) could provide a valuable tool for an integrated weed management strategy. While wheat typically exhibits conservative early growth, selection for early shoot vigour may improve crop competitiveness. A recurrent selection for early shoot vigour resulted in wheat germplasm with significantly higher early biomass and leaf area. However, the impact of integrating such vigour into breeding lines on physiological traits associated with competitive ability of seedling wheat remains relatively unknown. Here, a range of early vigour germplasm, commercial wheat cultivars and crosses between the two, as well as additional wheat cultivars, were grown in controlled environments and field conditions to assess the impact of early shoot vigour on plant growth and development. Total leaf area, root length, biomass accumulation, relative growth rate and specific leaf area were compared across genotypes. In addition, the competitive ability of these genotypes was assessed in the field and controlled environment. High vigour lines demonstrated increased leaf area, root and shoot biomass and root length from the first leaf stage onwards. Interestingly, differences in weed suppression in the field and controlled environment occurred earlier than previously documented. We conclude that improved wheat competitive ability could be a valuable, easy-to-apply tool in the integrated weed management toolbox.15 pages© The Authorscompetitivenessintegrated weed managementearly shoot vigourrootsConference Contribution - published