description
- This project aims to rapidly develop elite wheat lines with optimised root systems by combining recently discovered genes that modulate root architecture and biomass. Higher yielding crops developed 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. By employing a combination of high-throughput phenotyping and marker-assisted selection strategies, along with 'speed breeding', elite wheat materials with distinct root ideotypes will be assembled. To determine the value of the improved root systems, the wheat lines will be evaluated for yield under different environments, at sites in Mexico and Australia. This project forms part of a larger effort under the International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP) that seeks to improve wheat yield potential.