Email: z.he@cgiar.org or hezhonghu02@caas.cn

Chinese wheat production is facing great challenges as climate change becomes much significant across the country, thus development of climate-resilient cultivar is crucially important. This presentation will summarize breeding progress and challenges under climate change scenario in China. (1) Yield potential is significantly increased, largely due to the extended grain-filling period characterized with early heading by warming (around 7 days advanced in comparison with 1980) and basically unchanged maturity, but yield stability over seasons and locations are decreased by fluctuation of temperature and rainfall, and increased occurrence of various diseases. (2)

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and ground-based remote sensing platforms equipped with multi/hyperspectral imagery, are used to characterize variation of agronomic and physiological traits among major cultivars across various locations, and then used for genomic selection for tolerance to drought and high temperature. (3) High yield potential is achieved by selection of short stature with around 80 cm through the combination of Rht 1/Rht 2+Rht 8+Rht 24, compact plant type (small and erect leaves), more spikes, and big and stable grain size.

Tolerance to high temperature during grain-filling stage is well achieved by selection of fast grain-filling rate, stay-green and normal maturity. Multi-locational testing is promoted to select for yield potential and broad adaptation.

New white kernel cultivars such as Zhongmai 578, with tolerance to pre-harvesting and to high temperature, in combination of high yield potential and excellent pan bread and noodle qualities, are developed.

Contract production of excellent quality cultivar is achieved to increase farmer income and competiveness of milling industry. Over 20% yield increase with 7-10 days early is achieved by planting winter wheat in traditional spring wheat area such as Gansu and Qinghai. However, much more efforts are needed to understand the mechanism and develop new cultivars with tolerance to temperature fluctuation before heading, and resistance to sharp eyespot and Fusarium crown rot.

Additionally, diversity of cropping system is needed to reduce the occurrence of various diseases.