| In order to study the effects of dwarfing genes and their combinations on wheat stem characteristics, the dwarf genes Rht-B1b, Rht-D1b, Rht8, Rht9, Rht12 and Rht24 of 490 wheat varieties (lines) from southern Huanghuai wheat region were detected by molecular markers. The stem characteristics, such as plant height, gravity center height, internode length, diameter and breaking force, were measured in two consecutive years, and the composition of dwarfing genes and their effects on stem characteristics were analyzed. The results showed that among the 490 materials, the distribution frequencies of Rht-B1b, Rht-D1b, Rht8, Rht9, Rht12 and Rht24 were 7.25%, 92.24%, 39.18%, 42.86%, 72.65% and 95.31%, respectively. A total of 40 gene combinations were detected. The combinations with high distribution frequency were Rht-D1b+Rht9+Rht12+Rht24(20.2%), Rht-D1b+Rht12+Rht24(19.8%), Rht-D1b+Rht8+Rht12+Rht24 (16.3%), Rht-D1b+Rht8+Rht9+Rht12+Rht24(8.4%), Rht-D1b+Rht24(7.3%), Rht-D1b+Rht9+Rht24(6.5%), Rht-D1b+Rht8+Rht9+Rht24(4.7%) and Rht-D1b+Rht8+Rht9+Rht24(3.9%). The effect of dwarf genes on reducing wheat plant height ranked as Rht-D1b, Rht9, Rht8, Rht12 and Rht-B1b in turn, and additive effects were found among genes. However, Rht8 could not play an obvious role in reducing plant height when combined with Rht9 or Rht12. The gene combination Rht-D1b+Rht9+Rht12+Rht24 had the greatest effect on reducing the gravity center height of wheat stem and the length of the first 3 internodes, and enhancing the breaking force of the first 3 internodes; the gene combination Rht-D1b+Rht8+Rht9+Rht24 had the greatest effect on reducing the peduncle length, and the gene combination Rht-D1b+Rht8+Rht12+Rht24 had the greatest effect on increasing the diameter of the first 3 internodes. Dwarfing genes can effectively reduce the plant height, gravity center height, shorten the length of the second and third internode, and increase the diameter and breaking force of the first 3 internodes, which provides an important basis for the study of lodging resistance of wheat. |