Résumé
The need to address the impact of domestication on plant traits is
frequently highlighted in modern agriculture. It is often argued that
domesticated plants have lost competitive ability due to reduced
phenotypic plasticity. This study examines whether domestication has
affected competitive ability, functional trait values, and plasticity in
durum wheat across 39 genotypes representing four key stages of
domestication, from wild progenitors to modern elite varieties. Plants
were grown in pots, both alone and in competition with a same neighboring
genotype. Biomass, and above- and belowground traits were measured at the
end of the vegetative stage. Our results show that the three domesticated
groups lost less biomass in response to competition compared to their wild
progenitors. All genotypes developed thinner leaves and thicker roots when
grown with a neighbor. While wild progenitors exhibited the highest
plasticity, this did not translate to a greater competitive ability. These
findings challenge the theoretical expectation that domesticated plants
are less suited for competition. Instead, they suggest that domesticated
plants perform well in competitive environments and question the need to
reintroduce wild traits to improve competitive ability.