TY - JOUR

T1 - Raising yield potential in wheat

AU - Reynolds, Matthew

AU - Foulkes, M. John

AU - Slafer, Gustavo A.

AU - Berry, Peter

AU - Parry, Martin A. J.

AU - Snape, John W.

AU - Angus, William J.

PY - 2009/5

Y1 - 2009/5

N2 - Recent advances in crop research have the potential to accelerate genetic gains in wheat, especially if co-ordinated with a breeding perspective. For example, improving photosynthesis by exploiting natural variation in Rubisco's catalytic rate or adopting C4 metabolism could raise the baseline for yield potential by 50% or more. However, spike fertility must also be improved to permit full utilization of photosynthetic capacity throughout the crop life cycle and this has several components. While larger radiation use efficiency will increase the total assimilates available for spike growth, thereby increasing the potential for grain number, an optimized phenological pattern will permit the maximum partitioning of the available assimilates to the spikes. Evidence for underutilized photosynthetic capacity during grain filling in elite material suggests unnecessary floret abortion. Therefore, a better understanding of its physiological and genetic basis, including possible signalling in response to photoperiod or growth-limiting resources, may permit floret abortion to be minimized for a more optimal source:sink balance. However, trade-offs in terms of the partitioning of assimilates to competing sinks during spike growth, to improve root anchorage and stem strength, may be necessary to prevent yield losses as a result of lodging. Breeding technologies that can be used to complement conventional approaches include wide crossing with members of the Triticeae tribe to broaden the wheat genepool, and physiological and molecular breeding strategically to combine complementary traits and to identify elite progeny more efficiently.

AB - Recent advances in crop research have the potential to accelerate genetic gains in wheat, especially if co-ordinated with a breeding perspective. For example, improving photosynthesis by exploiting natural variation in Rubisco's catalytic rate or adopting C4 metabolism could raise the baseline for yield potential by 50% or more. However, spike fertility must also be improved to permit full utilization of photosynthetic capacity throughout the crop life cycle and this has several components. While larger radiation use efficiency will increase the total assimilates available for spike growth, thereby increasing the potential for grain number, an optimized phenological pattern will permit the maximum partitioning of the available assimilates to the spikes. Evidence for underutilized photosynthetic capacity during grain filling in elite material suggests unnecessary floret abortion. Therefore, a better understanding of its physiological and genetic basis, including possible signalling in response to photoperiod or growth-limiting resources, may permit floret abortion to be minimized for a more optimal source:sink balance. However, trade-offs in terms of the partitioning of assimilates to competing sinks during spike growth, to improve root anchorage and stem strength, may be necessary to prevent yield losses as a result of lodging. Breeding technologies that can be used to complement conventional approaches include wide crossing with members of the Triticeae tribe to broaden the wheat genepool, and physiological and molecular breeding strategically to combine complementary traits and to identify elite progeny more efficiently.

KW - Complex traits

KW - Crop breeding

KW - Gene discovery

KW - Genetic resources

KW - Lodging

KW - Phenology

KW - Photosynthesis

KW - RUE

KW - Source:sink

KW - Spike fertility

U2 - 10.1093/jxb/erp016

DO - 10.1093/jxb/erp016

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 19363203

AN - SCOPUS:66249096014

VL - 60

SP - 1899

EP - 1918

JO - Journal of Experimental Botany

JF - Journal of Experimental Botany

SN - 0022-0957

IS - 7

ER -