Harness the wild: progress and perspectives in wheat genetic improvement

Xiubin Tian; Ziyu Wang; Wenxuan Liu; Yusheng Zhao

doi:10.1016/j.jgg.2025.05.010

Harness the wild: progress and perspectives in wheat genetic improvement

doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2025.05.010

Xiubin Tian^a,b,
Ziyu Wang^a,b,
Wenxuan Liu^c, ,,
Yusheng Zhao^a,b, ,

a. Laboratory of Advanced Breeding Technologies, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
b. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
c. The State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China

基金项目:

We sincerely apologize to all contributors whose work may not have been cited due to space limitations or inadvertent omissions. We thank all the members in Zhaolab for helpful discussion. This work was supported by Biological Breeding-National Science and Technology Major Project (2023ZD04071), National Key Research and Development Program of China (2023YFF1000600) and The National Natural Science Foundation of China (32272084, 32372089, and 31971887).

详细信息

通讯作者:
Wenxuan Liu,E-mail:liuwenxuan@henau.edu.cn

Yusheng Zhao,E-mail:yusheng.zhao@genetics.ac.cn

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出版历程
- 收稿日期: 2024-12-13
- 录用日期: 2025-05-24
- 修回日期: 2025-05-23
- 网络出版日期: 2025-07-11

Harness the wild: progress and perspectives in wheat genetic improvement

Xiubin Tian^a,b,
Ziyu Wang^a,b,
Wenxuan Liu^{c
, ,},
Yusheng Zhao^{a,b
, ,}

a. Laboratory of Advanced Breeding Technologies, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
b. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
c. The State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China

Funds:

摘要

摘要:
Common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple hexaploid crop with numerous wild relatives. However, domestication and modern breeding have significantly narrowed its genetic diversity, diminishing its capacity to adapt to climate change. Wild relatives of wheat serve as a vital reservoir of genetic diversity, offering traits that enhance its resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses. Over recent decades, remarkable progress has been made in utilizing superior genes from wild relatives to bolster wheat's defenses against diseases and pests, though the exploration of genes conferring abiotic stress tolerance has lagged behind. In this review, we summarize key advancements in the utilization of wild relatives for wheat enhancement over the past century, emphasizing both theoretical and technological innovations. Furthermore, we evaluate the potential contributions of wild relatives to address production challenges posed by climate changes. We also explore strategies for isolating superior genes and developing pre-breeding germplasm to support the future development of climate-resilient wheat varieties.
- Common wheat /
- Wild relatives /
- Biotic stress /
- Abiotic stress /
- Genetic improvement /
- Climate change
Abstract:
Common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple hexaploid crop with numerous wild relatives. However, domestication and modern breeding have significantly narrowed its genetic diversity, diminishing its capacity to adapt to climate change. Wild relatives of wheat serve as a vital reservoir of genetic diversity, offering traits that enhance its resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses. Over recent decades, remarkable progress has been made in utilizing superior genes from wild relatives to bolster wheat's defenses against diseases and pests, though the exploration of genes conferring abiotic stress tolerance has lagged behind. In this review, we summarize key advancements in the utilization of wild relatives for wheat enhancement over the past century, emphasizing both theoretical and technological innovations. Furthermore, we evaluate the potential contributions of wild relatives to address production challenges posed by climate changes. We also explore strategies for isolating superior genes and developing pre-breeding germplasm to support the future development of climate-resilient wheat varieties.
- Common wheat /
- Wild relatives /
- Biotic stress /
- Abiotic stress /
- Genetic improvement /
- Climate change