Developing Better Wheat Based on its 100 Year Yield Data

Researchers from Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University, China and The University of Western Australia collected and analyzed yield data from a total of 1,850 Chinese wheat varieties from 1920's to 2014 at three wheat producing regions in China. This was done to evaluate and understand the yield-traits related to wheat yield increases and how the traits evolved through the years. This will also be important in creating and developing future breeding strategies for wheat.

Based on their analysis, wheat grain yield increase is attributed to the increase in kernel weight and number of kernels per spike with a decrease in plant height and seed density. This finding is significant in wheat breeding since strategies can be made by focusing on these kernel traits to improve yield.

Details of the story can be read at The University of Western Australia.