Wheat. Credit: Levke Hannemann from Pixabay<\/p>\n
Wheat is the world\u2019s most widely cultivated cereal, with 799 million tonnes<\/a> grown in 2023 alone. The demand for this staple crop is projected to increase to more than 900 million tonnes in 2050.<\/p>\n As wheat yields<\/a> have plateaued<\/a> over the past 30 years across all major growing regions, new genetic approaches are needed to sustainably increase wheat productivity to meet rising global food demands.<\/p>\n Now, new research has identified the genetic mutation which causes an existing variant of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) to produce 3 times as many grains than usual.<\/p>\n \u201cPinpointing the genetic basis of this trait offers a path for breeders to incorporate it into new wheat varieties, potentially increasing the number of grains per spike and overall yield,\u201d said Vijay Tiwari, associate professor of plant sciences at the University of Maryland in the US and co-author of the study.<\/p>\n A typical wheat spike contains between 18 and 28 spikelets. These produce 3-4 fertile florets which in turn contain 3 stamens and a single ovary. After fertilisation, this forms 1 wheat grain.<\/p>\n Multiovary mutants form up to 3 functional ovaries, and potentially 3 grains, per floret.<\/p>\n Previously, the team mapped<\/a> the underlying mutation which causes this useful change to a region on the wheat<\/a> chromosome 2D. Now, they have identified the nature of the mutation as well as the gene underlying the trait.<\/p>\nA MOV-wheat spikelet (a) and spike (b) showing the effect of the mutation on grain number. Credit: Vijay Tiwari, University of Maryland<\/p>\n