Recipient organisationNational Institute of Agricultural Botany
Funding£1.3M
PeriodNov 2018 — Mar 2022
In plain English
AI plain-English summary
Wheat breeders are turning their attention to the part of the plant they cannot see—the roots. Most efforts to boost wheat yields have focused on leaves, stems, and grain. But higher-yielding crops need more water and nutrients, which means roots must work harder without stealing too much carbon from the grain. This project brings together seven research institutes and five breeding companies to design a better root system—a "root ideotype"—for wheat. The team will use recently cloned genes, known genetic markers, and new natural and artificial genetic variants to build a pipeline that tests how different root shapes affect yield. They will combine speed breeding, high-throughput root imaging, and genomic tools to deliver validated root designs that breeders can use directly. If successful, this work could raise the genetic ceiling on wheat yields by tackling the "invisible half" of the crop. It complements existing work on above-ground traits, and aims to give breeders the knowledge and resources to combine both approaches for maximum gain. The research is applied and industry-facing, with a clear path to commercial wheat varieties.
View original technical description
This project assembles a world-class team of leaders in root research and wheat genetic improvement from seven institutes and five breeding companies, and brings this expertise into the IWYP programme. Our goal of optimising root systems is a critical component of the overarching IWYP aim of raising yield potential: higher yielding crops developed through IWYP will most likely demand more water and nutrients to support those yields, and roots must supply these in an efficient manner without draining any more carbon away from grain formation than is necessary to provide this function. The project builds on state-of-the-art developments in wheat genomic tools, germplasm resources, 'Speed Breeding', physiological and genetic understanding of root growth/development, high-throughput root phenotyping methods and the creation of novel genetic variation ready for exploitation. We establish a pipeline to validate the impact of root ideotype on yield, based on the use of: (1) recently cloned genes, (2) known QTL, and (3) de novo natural and artificial allele discovery. This pipeline provides staggered delivery of validated root ideotypes that will feed the breeding activities carried out by the IWYP Hub, participating breeding companies, and wider wheat breeding networks. By focusing on the often ignored 'invisible half' of the crop, this approach complements IWYP work on above ground traits, ultimately providing the knowledge and resources to allow above and below ground approaches to be combined in the future to maximise yield genetic gains.
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