Synthetic Wheat: An Indispensable Pre-breeding Source for High Yield and Resistance to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses in Wheat Improvement

Authors : Mustafa YILDIRIM

Pages : 45-52

View : 19 | Download : 6

Publication Date : 2017-01-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :In addition to being the most widely cultivated crop, wheat is also the most ancient cultivated plant species. Today, as in the past, wheat continues to be a crop of strategic importance. Cultivated hexaploid bread wheat insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(2n=42); consists of three genome groups insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(AA, BB, and DD);, with each genome group further comprising three diploid wild species. Over the past 70 years, the world population has been rapidly increasing, while the area of agricultural lands has remained more or less constant. To be able to feed this continually increasing human population, scientists have begun to investigate the biological origins/roots of wheat, with the aim of achieving higher yield and greater resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. This was because, based on the studies they performed, they determined that “reconstructing” wheat from its origins was a more effective solution than working with limited and currently available genetic resources. Bread wheat reconstructed by using diploid wild forms is called “synthetic wheat”. Synthetic wheat receives certain characteristics from wild forms that render them superior to cultivated wheat. Diploid wild forms bearing the “D” genome insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(Aegilopstauschii); are known to be particularly very resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses. Nowadays, it has become imperative to use synthetic wheat in order to increase genetic variation in breeding programs. To break the “yield per unit area” barrier, to ensure world peace, and to prevent the starvation of children around the world, wheat breeders must place greater emphasis on the production of synthetic wheat. 
Keywords : Synthetic wheat, aegilops, D genome, crossing