Wheat covers 60% of UK arable land, yet its genetic code is so large and complex that no complete sequence has existed—until now. This project is part of an international effort to produce a high-quality, complete wheat genome sequence. Without it, breeders and scientists have been working with an incomplete genetic map, slowing progress on yield, disease resistance, and climate tolerance. Yield increases in wheat have already slowed compared to past gains from better farming, and compared to other grains like maize. A full genome sequence gives researchers a permanent, accurate record of every gene and regulatory element—the fundamental foundation for nearly all biological research on the crop. If the sequencing succeeds, it will accelerate genetic and transgenic improvement of wheat worldwide. That could mean higher yields on the same land, crops that thrive in poorer soils or drier conditions, and reduced reliance on fertiliser and water. It could also help breeders develop varieties resistant to emerging diseases, cutting losses and pesticide use. The UK wheat sector alone has an annual farm gate value of roughly £2.5 billion and a processed product value of approximately £150 billion, so even modest improvements would have major economic and supply-chain effects.
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Securing food supply on a global scale requires solutions to a complex set of unprecedented problems, including rising demand due to major population increases and social mobility, global climate change, rising energy costs and land, water and nutrient limitations. Finding and implementing these solutions is a top priority for governments and scientists worldwide, and has been articulated as a key BBSRC strategic objective. Opportunities for plant science to contribute to global food security include increasing the yield and quality of crops, combatting diseases, enabling maximal crop productivity in sub-optimal growth conditions, and increasing maximal yield potential. Utilising non- food components of food crops, such as cell wall material and waste products of food production to produce energy and industrial feedstocks, has a major role in reaching sustainability and maximising overall yield of renewable resources from limited land and soils. Grass crops are essential for human existence by directly or indirectly serving as the primary source of human nutrition. Wheat, rice and coarse grains such as maize are the most important crops for human food production, therefore increasing grain production sustainably is a critically important strategic and scientific objective. Wheat is the main arable crop in the UK, planted on 60% of arable land, with an annual farm gate value of ~£2.5b and a processed product value of approximately £150bn. Yield increases in wheat are slowing compared to past gains achieved primarily through improved agronomy and also in relation to other grain crops, notably maize. Genetic and transgenic improvement of wheat is therefore a very high priority in the UK and world- wide, and large international programmes for wheat genetic improvement are underway. A high quality genomics sequence provides a complete, accurate and durable record of genes, predicted proteins and other genomic elements that today are a fundamental foundation for nearly all areas of biological research. This proposal describes a UK component of an international coordinated wheat genome sequencing project that will make decisive and innovative contributions to sequencing the wheat genome and supporting crop improvement through genomics.
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