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Mutants lacking functional HYD2 homoeologs showed improved seedling growth, but comparable or increased susceptibility to salt stress in tillering plants, suggesting a developmentally restricted role of HYD2 in salt response. Salinity stress threatens global food security by reducing the yield of staple crops such as wheat (Triticum ssp.). Understanding how wheat responds to salinity stress is crucial for developing climate resilient varieties. In this study, we examined the interplay between carotenoid metabolism and the response to salt (NaCl) stress, a specific form of salinity stress, in tetraploid wheat plants with mutations in carotenoid β-hydroxylase 1 (HYD1) and HYD2. Our investigation encompassed both the vulnerable seedling stage and the more developed tillering stage of wheat plant growth. Mutant combinations lacking functional HYD2 homoeologs, including hyd-A2 hyd-B2, hyd-A1 hyd-A2 hyd-B2, hyd-B1 hyd-A2 hyd-B2, and hyd-A1 hyd-B1 hyd-A2 hyd-B2, had longer first true leaves and slightly enhanced root growth during germination under salt stress compared to the segregate wild-type (control) plants. Interestingly, these mutant seedlings also showed decreased levels of neoxanthin and violaxanthin (xanthophylls derived from β-carotene) and an increase in β-carotene in roots. However, tillering hyd mutant and segregate wild-type plants generally did not differ in their height, tiller count, and biomass production under acute or prolonged salt stress, except for decreases in these parameters observed in the hyd-A1 hyd-B1 hyd-A2 hyd-B2 mutant that indicate its heightened susceptibility to salt stress. Taken together, these findings suggest a significant, yet developmentally restricted role of HYD2 homoeologs in salt-stress response in tetraploid wheat. They also show that hyd-A2 hyd-B2 mutant plants, previously demonstrated for possessing enriched nutritional (β-carotene) content, maintain an unimpaired ability to withstand salt stress.

Wheat is a very vital cereal crop in the development of a nation's economy and agricultural sector. A crucial element that profoundly affects the growth and productivity of wheat is the soil temperature. As an insulating layer, straw mulch controls the soil temperature. Field measurement of the soil temperature is time-consuming and costly; therefore, the present study investigates the applicability of random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM) and generalized regression neural network (GRNN) models for estimating soil temperature in wheat fields covered with straw mulch using meteorological, soil cover and agronomical parameters. A field study was conducted on the wheat cultivar with two soil cover treatments for measuring the soil temperature at three depths (5, 50 and 80 cm). Soil plant analysis development value; soil cover and depth; daily meteorological data such as average air temperature, average relative humidity, sunshine hours and vapor pressure were used as inputs for machine learning models in training and testing. Statistical performance indicators showed applicability of three models with a root mean square error (RMSE) ranging from 0.245–0.595°C, 0.867–0.886°C and 0.557–0.812°C, Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) ranging from 0.917–0.987, 0.823–0.836 and 0.804–0.935 and Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) ranging from 0.949–0.991, 0.887–0.897 and 0.881–0.957 for the RF, SVM and GRNN, respectively. Results indicated better performance of the RF model for predicting the soil temperature at different depths in the case of both crop and soil cover conditions. Also, the uncertainty analysis indicated the better performance of RF with R-factor and P-factor value of 0.40 and 0.84, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safeguarding the agricultural environment from pollution is one of the most critical challenges facing the world in the context of climate change. The loss of nitrogen fertilizers through agricultural runoff or volatilization in the form of nitrate or ammonia emissions is a significant contributor to pollution. This loss also represents an economic waste that may lead to increased prices of agricultural products. Therefore, finding a solution to this problem has become imperative. An experiment was conducted on wheat plants using various rates of urea coated with slow-release materials. The study aimed to assess the impact of these fertilizers on wheat growth and yield, nutrient uptake, and nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUtE). Results demonstrated that urea fertilizers coated with slow-release materials outperformed conventional fertilizers in terms of wheat growth and yield, uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as NUtE. The most favorable outcomes were achieved using urea-formaldehyde, urea-humic, and urea-biochar fertilizers at 100% of the recommended nitrogen application rate. This resulted in economically viable grain production with high fertilizer efficiency. Based on these findings, we recommend applying either urea-formaldehyde or urea-humic at a rate of 107 kg N ha−1 to produce wheat grain and straw with enhanced NUtE. This approach can help reduce environmental pollution caused by nitrogen losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agronomic bio-fortification remains a crucial focus area for enhancing wheat productivity and quality while alleviating environmental pressures. Micronutrient deficiencies, particularly in iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), persist among the Indian population, especially affecting women. These deficiencies can be effectively addressed through agronomic bio-fortification of wheat grains. To tackle this issue, a comprehensive multilocation (4) field experiment was conducted, incorporating four high-yielding wheat cultivars (HD-3226, HI-1544, DBW-187, and PBW-1-Zn) alongside six foliar fertilizer applications (Control, 2% S, 2% N, 0.5% ZnSO4.7H2O, 1% KCl, and combined treatments) during 2021-22 and 2022-23 utilizing a split-plot design with three replications. Analysis over the years revealed that significant impacts of location and cultivar on yield and its attributes, and Fe, Zn, and protein content of grains. Warmer locations like Hisar exhibited higher yields primarily due to significantly increased earheads/m2 and grains number/m2 compared to other locations. Moreover, Fe content in wheat grains was notably higher in Gurdaspur followed by Hisar, surpassing Ludhiana. Notably, cultivar DBW-187 outperformed others with a 14.75% higher grain yield than the least yielding cultivar, HI-1544. PBW-1-Zn exhibited the highest grain Fe and Zn content among the cultivars studied. The interaction between cultivar and location significantly influenced all yield parameters and grain Fe content. Foliar spray of ZnSO4 (0.5%) during stem elongation and milk stages resulted in significantly higher grain Zn content compared to applications of KCl (1.0%), N (2.0%), and S (2.0%) alone, with an increase of 9.9% over no spray. In conclusion, the selection of appropriate cultivars tailored to specific regions, coupled with strategic agronomic bio-fortification approaches, is imperative for enhancing wheat productivity and grain quality, thereby ensuring nutritional security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the responses of two wheat varieties, Alvand (Zn-inefficient) and Pishtaz (Zn-efficient), to various zinc (Zn) fertilization methods to determine optimal strategies for enhancing wheat growth and grain quality. The primary aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of various Zn fertilization strategies, including foliar applications of Zn sulfate and Zn-EDTA with and without urea, as well as synthetic Zn amino acid complexes, along with soil applications of Zn sulfate, on the yield and nutritional quality of grains in these two contrasting wheat varieties. The results revealed that wheat varieties responded differently to Zn treatments. While Alvand showed a promising trend of elevated grain yield with foliar zinc sulfate application, Pishtaz exhibited a stronger response to foliar treatments like Zn-Met and Zn-EDTA + urea. Yield components as 1000-grain weight and spike weight, were significantly influenced by Zn fertilization. Foliar application of zinc sulfate + urea enhanced 1000-grain weight in Alvand, whereas Zn-EDTA + urea substantially increased spike weight in Pishtaz. Soil application of zinc sulfate was found to be as an effective method to enhance grain Zn content. Furthermore, the Zn concentrations in flour, straw, bran, and roots elucidated the complex patterns of Zn distribution among various plant tissues. Soil applications were particularly effective in increasing Zn levels in flour and bran, while foliar treatments influenced Zn content in straw and roots. Overall, this research highlights the importance of Zn fertilization strategies for different wheat varieties biofortification. These findings can provide practical implications for sustainable wheat production, addressing Zn deficiency challenges, and advancing food security worldwide. Further exploration into the underlying mechanisms of these responses is encouraged to refine Zn management practices for wheat cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic (As) threatens plant growth and human health because its harmful effects are intensified by its persistent presence in the ecosystem. The absorption of As from the contaminated soil leads to accumulation in grains of food crops posing a serious threat to human health. High concentration of As hindered essential physio-biochemical processes of plants that ultimately diminish the growth and yield of crops. Therefore; a pot study was designed to assess synergistic effect of silicon (Si) and salicylic acid (SA) (control-Ck, 4.0 mM Si, 150 µM SA, 4.0 mM Si + 150 µM SA) in mitigating the adversities of As stress in wheat seedlings exposed to As stress (0, and 100 μM). Wheat seedlings exposed to As showed a significant decline in morphological attributes as well as photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids). However; foliar application of Si and SA considerably increased morphological parameters and leaf photosynthetic pigments under As stress. The imposition of As resulted in enhance accumulation of hydrogen peroxide, MDA, and electrolyte leakage, increased activities of enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase and catalase) and an elevated accumulation of essential organic osmolytes (free proline, soluble protein, total soluble sugar, total phenolics) in leaves of wheat seedlings. Furthermore, the application of Si + SA resulted in a remarkable increase in the activities of enzymatic antioxidants and accumulation of organic osmolytes. Simultaneously, it reduced the concentration of hydrogen peroxide, MDA, and electrolyte leakage in As-stress wheat seedlings. Under As-stress, sole and combined application of Si and SA caused a significant reduction in arsenic concentration while enhance Si contents in root and shoot of wheat seedlings. In conclusion, synergistic interaction between Si and SA could alleviate the negative impact of As by enhancing the antioxidant defense system, photosynthetic pigments, facilitating osmotic adjustment, and reducing the lipid peroxidation in maize seedlings. The current findings suggest that the combined exogenous application of Si and SA represent a promising approach for promoting the successful cultivation of wheat in As contaminated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the challenges posed by climate change and population growth, Iraq faces increasing demands for food production and water resources. To enhance agricultural productivity and optimize water management for crop efficiency, this study evaluated various wheat varieties, specifically Mawaddah, Bohuth 10, Aba99, and Babel113, under different irrigation level. These level were based on depletion levels of available water at 40%, 55%, and 70%. Key metrics measured included actual evapotranspiration, water use efficiency (WUE), grain yield, spike number, grains per spike, and the weight of 100 grains over the growing seasons of 2022–2023 and 2023–2024. The findings revealed that water consumption varied with depletion levels for all wheat varieties, amounting to 435.53, 397.13, and 365.13 mm season-1, and 465.7, 422.10, and 385.40 mm season-1 for the respective depletion levels of 40%, 55%, and 70%, across the two seasons. WUE ranged from 1.01 for Babel 113 at the 70% depletion level to 1.85 for Bohuth and Mawaddah at the 40% depletion level. Among the plant traits, Mawaddah had the best performance at the 40% depletion level, while Babel113 had the lowest performance at the 75% depletion level. The drought sensitivity index varied among the varieties due to their genetic differences. Our research supports the feasibility of utilizing water at depletion levels up to 75% when cultivating drought-tolerant wheat varieties in semi-arid and arid conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Hexokinases (HXKs), which sense and catalyze cellular sugar, play a critical role in the growth and development of various plants, including wheat, a primary source of human calories frequently attacked by fungal pathogens. However, the evolutionary dynamics and functional diversification of HXKs in wheat, particularly their roles in plant defense, remain unclear. Here, we discovered that the wheat hexokinase gene family originated through multiple ancient gene duplications across different plant lineages and has undergone comprehensive, multidimensional functional specialization in gene expression, subcellular localization, enzyme activity, and regulation of plant defense responses. Gene expression analysis suggests that two‐thirds of the TaHXK genes are responsive to fungal infection. Subcellular analysis reveals that while six TaHXKs are localized in mitochondria, three TaHXKs from different phylogenetic branches are sorted into other cellular compartments. Notably, biochemical analysis shows that TaHXKs in mitochondria differ in their glucose‐catalyzing activity, with TaHXK5 and TaHXK3 exhibiting the highest and lowest enzyme activity, respectively. Consistently, transient expression analysis suggests that TaHXK5 induces various plant defense responses, while TaHXK3 is defective in activating some plant defense responses. Furthermore, inactivation of the glucokinase activity of TaHXK5 compromised its function in defense activation, suggesting that mitochondrial TaHXKs display functional divergence in both enzyme activity and defense‐inducing activity that are intrinsically connected. Overall, our findings reveal that the multidimensional specialization events following the ancient duplication events may have shaped the functional diversity of HXKs in wheat, shedding light on their evolutionary dynamics and potentially contributing to the improvement of wheat defense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) became a globally dominant crop after incorporating the D genome from the donor species Aegilops tauschii , but the evolutionary history that shaped the D genome during this process remains to be clarified. Here, we propose a renewed evolutionary model linking Ae. tauschii and the hexaploid wheat D genome by constructing an ancestral haplotype map covering 762 Ae. tauschii and hexaploid wheat accessions. We dissected the evolutionary trajectories of Ae. tauschii lineages and reported a few independent intermediate accessions, demonstrating that low-frequency inter-sublineage gene flow had enriched the diversity of Ae. tauschii. We discovered that the D genome of hexaploid wheat was inherited from a unified ancestral template, but with a mosaic composition that was highly mixed and derived mainly from three Ae. tauschii L2 sublineages located in the Caspian coastal region. This result suggests that early agricultural activities facilitated innovations in D-genome composition and finalized the success of hexaploidization. We found that the majority (51.4%) of genetic diversity was attributed to novel mutations absent in Ae. tauschii , and we identified large Ae. tauschii introgressions from various lineages, which expanded the diversity of the wheat D genome and introduced beneficial alleles. This work sheds light on the process of wheat hexaploidization and highlights the evolutionary significance of the multi-layered genetic diversity of the bread wheat D genome. By constructing a pan-ancestry haploblock map for the Triticum–Aegilops D genome covering 762 Aegilops tauschii and hexaploid wheat accessions, this study discovered that hexaploid wheat inherited a conserved ancestral genomic template across the D genome. Furthermore, the study elucidated its mosaic composition, which was mainly contributed by three Ae. tauschii L2 sublineages located in the Caspian coastal region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a globally staple crop vulnerable to various fungal diseases, significantly impacting its yield. Plant cell surface receptors play a crucial role in recognizing pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and activating PAMP‐triggered immunity, boosting resistance against a wide range of plant diseases. Although the role of plant chitin receptor CERK1 in immune recognition and defense has been established in Arabidopsis and rice, its function and potential agricultural applications in enhancing resistance to crop diseases remain largely unexplored. Here, we identify and characterize TaCERK1 in Triticeae crop wheat, uncovering its involvement in chitin recognition, immune regulation, and resistance to fungal diseases. By a comparative analysis of CERK1 homologs in Arabidopsis and monocot crops, we demonstrate that AtCERK1 in Arabidopsis elicits the most robust immune response. Moreover, we show that overexpressing TaCERK1 and AtCERK1 in wheat confers resistance to multiple fungal diseases, including Fusarium head blight, stripe rust, and powdery mildew. Notably, transgenic wheat lines with moderately expressed AtCERK1 display superior disease resistance and heightened immune responses without adversely affecting growth and yield, compared to TaCERK1 overexpression transgenics. Our findings highlight the significance of plant chitin receptors across diverse plant species and suggest potential strategies for bolstering crop resistance against broad‐spectrum diseases in agricultural production through the utilization of plant immune receptors. Significance Statement: CERK1 acts as a chitin immune receptor for plant defense and survival, but its role and applied potential in Triticeae crops remain unknown. We identify TaCERK1 in wheat, revealing distinct characteristics of CERK1 homologs in chitin recognition and immune activation between cereals and the dicot Arabidopsis. Notably, overexpressing CERK1s from both cereal and Arabidopsis in wheat confers broad‐spectrum resistance to fungal diseases. Our findings highlight the potential of plant immune receptors in controlling crop diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a major staple food crop for the global human population, climate-resilient wheat is the key to global food security. In this context, there is an urgent need to combine advances in genomic technologies and cutting-edge tools in the crop breeding pipelines. The genetic improvement of wheat starts with a clear understanding of genes and genomic components. The past 4–5 years have seen unprecedented growth in wheat genomes, pangenomes, and functional genomics studies. More than 50 reference-level genome assemblies are available for wheat and its wild and related species. Wheat's wild and related species provide a rich source of new genes and alleles to improve wheat. Reference genome assemblies of wheat's wild and related progenitor species have provided a new, helpful resource for targeted gene discovery for wheat improvement. This review explores the journey of wheat genomics starting in 2003. There is an urgent need to improve wheat for upcoming challenges, including biotic and abiotic stresses. Sustainable wheat improvement requires the introduction of new genes and alleles in high-yielding wheat cultivars. Using new approaches, tools, and technologies to identify and introduce new genes in wheat cultivars is critical. High-quality genomes, transcriptomes, and pangenomes provide essential resources and tools to examine wheat closely to identify and manipulate new and targeted genes and alleles. Wheat genomics has improved excellently in the past 5 years, generating multiple genomes, pangenomes, and transcriptomes. Leveraging these resources allows us to accelerate our crop improvement pipelines. This review summarizes the progress made in wheat genomics and trait discovery in the past 5 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trigeneric hybrids in Triticeae may help to establish evolutionary relationships among different genomes present in the same cellular genetic background and to transfer different alien characters into cultivated wheat. In the present study, a trigeneric hybrid involving species of Triticum, Secale, and Thinopyrum was synthesized by crossing hexaploid triticale with hexaploid trigopiro. The meiotic behaviour of chromosomes belonging to different genomes was analyzed, using routine and in situ hybridization techniques in F1, F2, and F3 generations of the trigeneric hybrid. The purpose of this study was to determine the chromosome number and genomic constitution and to discuss the mechanisms involved in the stabilization of the artificial tricepiro hybrids. The chromosome number of the trigeneric F1 hybrid was 2n = 42. Between 12 and 16 bivalents were observed in the central zone of the equatorial meiotic plate and between 9 and 18 univalents were found in the periphery of the MI equatorial plate. Seven of these univalents showed hybridization signals with rye DNA. Lagging rye and non-rye chromosomes and separation of sister chromatids were found in anaphase I. Tetrads with a maximum of six micronuclei, with and without hybridization signals of rye DNA, were observed. After three generations, meiotic cells revealed the presence of 42 chromosomes and 21 bivalents in diakinesis cells. The presence of 14 rye (Secale cereale) chromosomes and the complete pairing of chromosomes in F3 hybrids suggest that rye chromosomes would be preferentially transmitted to the progeny and that an elimination mechanism would act on chromosomes of Thinopyrum and wheat D genome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: Can modern breeding technologies, such as genome editing, contribute to reduced pesticide usage? This question has been accentuated by a recent legal proposal to exempt genome‐edited plants from the strict regulations applied to classical genetically modified (GM) crops within the European Union (EU). Using official statistics on crop cultivation and pesticide usage for two example crops commonly grown in Sweden, we calculate that cereal farmers collectively could save up to 70 million € in pesticide usage for wheat alone and that a late blight‐resistant potato could reduce pesticide usage by over 80% provided that the EU legislation is amended. Summary: The European Commission has set goals to reduce the use of chemical pesticides, and one way to meet these goals in the agricultural sector is to breed disease‐resistant crops. Here, we ask whether modern breeding technologies, for example, genome editing using site‐directed nucleases, can contribute to these goals. This question has been accentuated by recent legal proposals in the European Union (EU) and several other jurisdictions worldwide to exempt genome‐edited plants from the strict regulations often applied to classical genetically modified (GM) crops. Using official statistics on crop cultivation and pesticide usage for two example crops commonly grown in Sweden (wheat and potato), we show that cereal farmers collectively could potentially save up to 70 million € in pesticide usage for wheat alone and that a late blight‐resistant potato could reduce pesticide usage by over 80% provided that the EU legislation is amended. Given the immense potential of genome‐edited crops, we further discuss details in the legal proposal currently being negotiated in the EU on the so‐called new genomic techniques that includes both genome editing and targeted insertions of cisgenes. Although promising, we argue that several technical limitations in the legal proposal will, if implemented, hamper the development of disease‐resistant crops and make the suggested legislation less future‐proof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the evolution of mass-exchange, physicochemical, mechanical, thermal, and structural properties of meat analog (MA)-based batter-coated parfried food. Wheat and rice flour–based batter systems were used to coat the MA. Parfried (at 180 °C for 60 s) MA were frozen at − 18 °C, − 76 °C, and liquid N2 and stored at − 18 °C for up to 6 months. Parfried MA were finish-fried at 180 °C for 180 s and their attributes were studied. Results reveal that batter formulation and freezing considerably impact the moisture-fat profile as well as textural attributes (hardness, brittleness, crispiness) of finish-fry–coated MA. The color of finish-fry–coated MA is batter formulation–dependent and different than parfried MA. Freezing at − 76 °C slowed quality deterioration of parfried MA in comparison to freezing at − 18 °C. Compared to low-moisture–containing parfried MA, high-moisture–containing coated parfried MA are greatly affected by the freezing process and frozen storage. Storage loss (SL, %) of coated parfried MA increased with the duration of frozen storage, and SL is greatly impacted by batter formulation. Frozen storage duration of parfry-coated MA is negatively correlated with the moisture content of finish-fried MA. Storage duration is positively correlated with fat content and hardness of finish-fried MA. Batter formulation impacted glass-transition temperature (Tg) of parfried MA, that consequently affected their frozen storage quality and finish-frying behavior. Scanning electron microscopy provided mechanistic insights in understanding the impacts of batter formulation and freezing rates on microstructural attributes and consequentially quality evolution of MA-based coated product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The aim of this study was to determine the textural sensory profile of wheat breads developed using oat flour at different substitution levels (10%, 30%, and 50%) and particle sizes (<224, 250–280, 280–500, 500–600 μm). A trained descriptive panel evaluated the wheat–oat breads using quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) (n = 8) and partial napping (PN) (n = 12) sensory techniques. The QDA results showed that the textural properties of the breads were significantly affected by oat flour at different substitution and particle size levels (P < 0.001). The attributes crumb 'denseness' and 'stickiness' discriminated most frequently across samples, while crumb 'chewiness' and 'dryness' discriminated the least. Principal component analysis (PCA) illustrated that in PC1 (59%) crumb 'denseness' was positively correlated with crumb 'hardness' and 'graininess', while 'stickiness' was negatively correlated with crumb 'graininess'. The application of clustering techniques on QDA data showed that breads with 10% oat flour were differentiated based on particle size; however, as the substitution level of oat flour increased, the substitution level of oat flour used in formulations exceeded the effect of particle size. In terms of PN, panellists identified four distinct groups of wheat–oat breads, indicating that wheat breads with 10% oat flour and <224 μm, 280–500 μm and whole oat flour had similar textural properties to the control wheat bread sample. The texture of wheat breads substituted with 50% oat flour were very different to the control. The results of this study suggest that in addition to the effect of substitution level, fractionation of oat flour may have application in the production of wheat bread formulations with different textural profiles. The findings also emphasise the importance of considering clustering techniques when evaluating complex samples for new product development applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the ban of certain single-use plastics in the European Union, food contact materials (FCM) from biobased and/or biodegradable polymers are increasingly being used. Some FCM are made from wheat or rye and therefore contain gluten, which is a food allergen and known to cause celiac disease. Legislation currently does not require allergen labelling on FCM and there is only some first information that gluten from FCM can migrate into gluten-free foods. Our aim was to analyze the extent of gluten migration from six different FCM into a variety of liquid and solid foods to assess the risk of exposure for wheat allergy and celiac disease patients. We show that the extent of gluten migration depended on the properties of the material, the liquid or solid food it comes into contact with and contact time. There was no clear effect of temperature or pH value. Of the six FCM studied, wheat bran-based plates had the highest potential to release gluten with concentrations of up to 203.0 mg/L of gluten in deionized water after 30 min. To protect patients, it is important to raise awareness of the risk of gluten migration from such FCM and help patients identify and avoid gluten-containing FCM. Further, legislation needs to be adapted urgently to include mandatory labelling of allergens on these biodegradable FCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf blotch, caused by Zymoseptoria tritici , is a fungal disease that poses a severe threat to wheat production worldwide. Knowledge of virulence variability is crucial in choosing effective control measures. However, there have only been a few studies of the pathogenic variability and pathotypes within Ethiopian isolates. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess the virulence spectrum and variability of Z. tritici isolates. Forty-three isolates were tested for their virulence and pathotype against 7 wheat differential lines that have different resistance genes. A pathogenicity assay detected 41 differential line-specific virulent isolates among 301 interactions between a host and pathogen based on the percentage coverage of the leaf area by pycnidia. Some isolates were virulent against 50 %–60 % of the resistant genes, but most of them were virulent against some differential lines. Isolates such as EtA-11, EtSh-1, EtSh-2, EtSh-4, and EtA-19 expressed broad-spectrum virulence, highlighting that such isolates are useful for germplasm screening. The isolates were classified into 25 pathotypes, defined by their differential virulence responses. They were also assigned to two clusters according to their mean pycnidia percent. Pathotypes and principal component analysis detected 58.1 % and 62.2 % pathogenic diversity in Ethiopian isolates, respectively. The current findings provide information that breeders can use to identify and select more resistant varieties for farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abiotic stresses, such as heat, drought and salinity, affect the development of wheat crop and hinder its expansion to the central region of Brazil. The identification of genotypes tolerant to these conditions is important for improving yield performance. The present research evaluated the impact of different abiotic stresses on germination and seedling development and selected wheat genotypes tolerant to these stresses, using multi-trait analysis. Heat, drought and salinity stresses were induced in seeds of 23 wheat genotypes. Seed germination, seedling length and dry mass were evaluated. An adaptability and stability model and a multi-trait selection index were applied to the data. Drought and salinity negatively affected the development of seedlings of the 23 evaluated genotypes. However, the VI 14055, ORS Madre Pérola and BRS 404 genotypes conferred the best adaptability and stability results and were selected by the MGIDI, which revealed that great performance can be achieved in regions with potential for abiotic stress, in the early stages of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: This study identified 82 wheat BRD genes, revealing both conserved evolutionary and functional characteristics across plant species and novel features specific to wheat. GTE8-12 cluster TaBRDs were found as positive response to salt stress. Bromodomain-containing proteins (BRDs) are crucial in histone acetylation “reading” and chromatin remodeling in eukaryotes. Despite some of their members showing importance in various biological processes in plants, our understanding of the BRD family in wheat (Triticum aestivum) remains limited. This study comprehensively analyzes the T. aestivum BRD (TaBRD) family. We identified 82 TaBRD genes in wheat genome encoding hydrophobic proteins with a conserved pocket structure. Phylogenetic analysis classified these genes into 16 distinct clusters, with conserved protein motifs and gene structures within clusters but diverse patterns across clusters. Gene duplication analysis revealed that whole-genome or segmental duplication events were the primary expansion mechanism for the TaBRD family, with purifying selection acting on these genes. Subcellular localization and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses indicated that TaBRD proteins are predominantly nuclear-localized and involved in transcription regulation and RNA metabolism. Promoter analysis and interaction network prediction suggested diverse regulatory mechanisms for TaBRDs. Notably, TaBRDs from the GTE8-12 cluster were enriched with cis-elements responsive to abscisic acid (ABA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and light, implying their involvement in physiological functions and abiotic stress responses. Expression analysis confirmed tissue-specific patterns and responsiveness to salinity stress. This comprehensive study enhances our understanding of the BRD family in higher plants and provides a foundation for developing salt-tolerant wheat varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study is the determination of heavy metals in soil samples and their circulation in the food chain. In this study, the correlation between the presence of heavy metals in agricultural soils and the quality preservation of wheat, specifically Triticum Aestivum and Triticum Durum, was investigated. The results indicate that over 85% of the samples contain a high presence of metals compared to Kosovar standards. Land surveying was conducted at distances ranging from 20 m to 400 m from the highway. The results for Pb at a distance from 20 m showed a value of 2.11 mg·kg-1, while Zn varied with a value of 5.12 mg·kg-1. However, the amount of heavy metals in agricultural soil is not sufficient to determine their risk in the food chain. The samples studied from the wheat varieties exhibited the accumulation of metals in the wheat cultivated in the studied soils. Some wheat samples showed high levels of heavy metals, with Pb varying significantly with a value of 1.99 mg·kg-1, and Cr with a value of 6.12 mg·kg-1. In this study, the circulation of soil metals such as Pb, Cd, Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mn was monitored. The study then continued with the monitoring of soil physicochemical parameters as indicators of soil quality, such as organic carbon. The results showed variations depending on the distance and its concentration. The maximum protein value varied at 11.9%, gluten at 22.8%, moisture at 11.4%, etc., especially for Triticum E. and Triticum D. wheat varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the toxic effects of caesium (Cs) on Triticum aestivum (Ibtissam) and Triticum durum (Nachit), focusing on seed germination, root and shoot growth, and overall growth parameters. Cs exposure significantly impairs growth, with dose-dependent reductions in germination, root and shoot lengths, and fresh/dry weights. Notably, T. durum shows greater resilience to Cs stress than T. aestivum, maintaining better growth at higher Cs levels. The differing tolerance suggests T. durum may have more effective mechanisms to mitigate Cs toxicity. These findings highlight wheat’s sensitivity to Cs and T. durum’s potential for cultivation in contaminated soils. This research enhances understanding of Cs toxicity in wheat and offers insights for developing Cs-tolerant crops and better soil management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Precision phenotyping of short-term transpiration response to environmental conditions and transpiration patterns throughout wheat development enables a better understanding of specific trait compositions that lead to improved transpiration efficiency. Transpiration and related traits were evaluated in a set of 79 winter wheat lines using the custom-built "DroughtSpotter XXL" facility. The 120 l plant growth containers implemented in this phenotyping platform enable gravimetric quantification of water use in real-time under semi-controlled, yet field-like conditions across the entire crop life cycle. Results: The resulting high-resolution data enabled identification of significant developmental stage-specific variation for genotype rankings in transpiration efficiency. In addition, for all examined genotypes we identified the genotype-specific breakpoint in transpiration in response to increasing vapour pressure deficit, with breakpoints ranging between 2.75 and 4.1 kPa. Conclusion: Continuous monitoring of transpiration efficiency and diurnal transpiration patterns enables identification of hidden, heritable genotypic variation for transpiration traits relevant for wheat under drought stress. Since the unique experimental setup mimics field-like growth conditions, the results of this study have good transferability to field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain filling is a critical process for improving crop production under adverse conditions caused by climate change. Here, using a quantitative method, we quantified post-anthesis source–sink relationships of a large dataset to assess the contribution of remobilized pre-anthesis assimilates to grain growth for both biomass and nitrogen. The dataset came from 13 years of semi-controlled field experimentation, in which six bread wheat genotypes were grown at plot scale under contrasting temperature, water, and nitrogen regimes. On average, grain biomass was ~10% higher than post-anthesis above-ground biomass accumulation across regimes and genotypes. Overall, the estimated relative contribution (%) of remobilized assimilates to grain biomass became increasingly significant with increasing stress intensity, ranging from virtually nil to 100%. This percentage was altered more by water and nitrogen regimes than by temperature, indicating the greater impact of water or nitrogen regimes relative to high temperatures under our experimental conditions. Relationships between grain nitrogen demand and post-anthesis nitrogen uptake were generally insensitive to environmental conditions, as there was always significant remobilization of nitrogen from vegetative organs, which helped to stabilize the amount of grain nitrogen. Moreover, variations in the relative contribution of remobilized assimilates with environmental variables were genotype dependent. Our analysis provides an overall picture of post-anthesis source–sink relationships and pre-anthesis assimilate contributions to grain filling across (non-)environmental factors, and highlights that designing wheat adaptation to climate change should account for complex multifactor interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allometric rules provide insights into structure–function relationships across species and scales and are commonly used in ecology. The fields of agronomy, plant phenotyping, and modeling also need simplifications such as those provided by allometric rules to reconcile data at different temporal and spatial levels (organs/canopy). This study explores the variations in relationships for wheat in terms of the distribution of crop green area between leaves and stems, and the allocation of above-ground biomass between leaves and stems during the vegetative period, using a large dataset covering different years, countries, genotypes, and management practices. The results showed that the relationship between leaf and stem area was linear, genotype-specific, and sensitive to radiation. The relationship between leaf and stem biomass depended on genotype and nitrogen fertilization. The mass per area, associating area and biomass for both leaf and stem, varied strongly by developmental stage and was significantly affected by environment and genotype. These allometric rules were evaluated and shown to have satisfactory performance, and their potential use is discussed with regard to current phenotyping techniques and plant/crop models. Our results enable the definition of models and minimum datasets required for characterizing diversity panels and making predictions in various genotype × environment × management contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity is one of the public health issues that seriously threatens human health. This study aimed to investigate the effects of wheat bran oil (WBO) on body weight and fat/lipid accumulation in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats and further explore the possible mechanisms by microbiome and metabolome analyses. Methods: Fifty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed either a normal chow diet (B group, n = 10) or HFD (n = 40) for 14 weeks to establish an obesity model. The HFD-induced obese rats were further divided into four groups and given WBO at 0 mL/kg (M group), 1.25 mL/kg (WBO-L group), 2.5 mL/kg (WBO-M group), and 5 mL/kg (WBO-H group) by oral gavage for 9 weeks. The body weight of rats was weighed weekly. The gut microbiota structure was analyzed using 16 S rDNA high-throughput sequencing. The liver metabolite profile was determined using UHPLC-QE-MS non-target metabolomics technology. Results: In this study, WBO treatment reduced body weight gain, fat and lipid accumulation, and ameliorated hepatic steatosis and inflammation. WBO treatment increased the relative abundance of Romboutsia and Allobaculum and decreased that of Candidatus_Saccharimonas, Alloprevotella, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, Alistipes, Parabacteroides, UCG-005, Helicobacter, Colidextribacter, and Parasutterella compared with the M group. A total of 22 liver metabolites were significantly altered by WBO treatment, which were mainly involved in taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, nicotinate and nicotunamide metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, and ether lipid metabolism. Conclusions: WBO alleviated body weight gain and fat/lipid accumulation in HFD-induced obese rats, which may be related to altered gut microbiota and liver metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt stress is one of the most important abiotic stress factors limiting crop production. Therefore, improving the stress resistance of seeds is very important for crop growth. Our previous studies have shown that using microcapsules encapsulating bacteria (Pontibacter actiniarum DSM 19842) as seed coating for wheat can alleviate salt stress. In this study, the genes and pathways involved in the response of wheat to salt stress were researched further. The results showed that compared with the control, the coating can improve osmotic stress and decrease oxidative damage by increasing the content of proline (29.1%), the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) (94.2%), peroxidase (POD) (45.7%) and catalase (CAT) (3.3%), reducing the content of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (39.8%) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (45.9%). In addition, ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing data showed that 7628 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, and 4426 DEGs up-regulated, 3202 down-regulated in the coated treatment. Many DEGs related to antioxidant enzymes were up-regulated, indicating that coating can promote the expression of antioxidant enzyme-related genes and alleviate oxidative damage under salt stress. The differential gene expression analysis demonstrated up-regulation of 27 genes and down-regulation of 20 genes. Transcription factor families, mostly belonging to bHLH, MYB, B3, NAC, and WRKY. Overall, this seed coating can promote the development of sustainable agriculture in saline soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND RESULTS CONCLUSION Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a cereal crop known for its biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) capacity, a plant‐mediated activity limiting nitrification pathway. The use of BNI‐producing plants represents an environmentally friendly and cost‐effective approach to reduce nitrogen (N) losses, such as nitrate (NO3−) leaching and nitrous oxide (N2O) gas emissions. The present study aimed to test the effectiveness of different S. bicolor cultivars in rotation to retain ammonium (NH4+) in soils and promote N availability for the subsequent wheat crop. A two‐year field rotation was established with four sorghum cultivars followed by winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Urea alone or combined with the urease inhibitor N‐(n‐butyl) thiophosphoric triamide was applied to promote a NH4+‐based fertilization regimes.AddingN‐(n‐butyl) thiophosphoric triamide maintained higher soil NH4+ content and reduced ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria population during sorghum cultivation. However, the benefits of the inhibitor on sorghum growth were cultivar‐dependent. Notably, the further reduction in ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria abundance for sorghum Voyenn and the increased soil NH4+ content for Vilomene suggested a BNI potential for these cultivars. Importantly, the Vilomene precedent enhanced wheat yield for both fertilization regimes.Overall, the present study confirms that sorghum is a suitable catch crop and emphasizes the importance of selecting the proper sorghum cultivar to maximize the yield of the target wheat crop, at the same time as minimizing N losses. Furthermore, developing combined strategies with selected sorghum cultivars and the application of urease inhibitors enables to enhance sorghum productivity as forage, achieving added value to the rotation. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High Plains wheat mosaic virus (HPWMoV) is an eriophyid‐mite transmitted virus infecting a number of cereals and grasses worldwide. HPWMoV has recently been reported in Iran; therefore, a comprehensive study was required to elucidate the molecular and biological characteristics of this newly identified virus. In this study, the whole genome sequence, transmission efficiency and partial host range of an Iranian isolate of HPWMoV (HPWMoV‐Ir) were determined. Moreover, a survey was conducted to understand the occurrence of wheat curl mite‐transmitted HPWMoV, wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV) and brome streak mosaic virus (BrSMV) as mite‐borne viruses in wheat fields located in central regions of Iran. During a survey of mite‐transmitted viruses, we found that mixed infections of HPWMoV and WSMV (43.7%) were more prevalent than their single infections, while all samples were negative for TriMV and BrSMV. Moreover, other grasses, such as maize, barley, wall barley, oat, rye, Johnson grass and millet, were naturally and experimentally infected with HPWMoV‐Ir at high efficiency. HPWMoV‐Ir was transmitted to wheat by Aceria tosichella with 43% efficiency, which was similar to the transmission rate of HPWMoV in a mixed infection with WSMV. The complete genome sequence comparisons of HPWMoV‐Ir with other HPWMoV isolates showed identities ranging from 79.5% to 98.1%. Remarkably, HPWMoV‐Ir possessed a single variant of the sequence and did not show any heterogeneity in its nucleocapsid protein gene. Phylogenetic analysis of the eight genomic RNA segments positioned HPWMoV‐Ir in group B with isolates from the Midwestern United States and Australia. This discovery can assist researchers in more effectively mitigating the pathogen risks through accurate diagnosis and timely management of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), significantly impacts global wheat production, including China. Monitoring Pst virulence is crucial for disease management. This study used 18 Yr single‐gene isogenic lines of wheat to characterize the virulence of 2023 Pst collections in China. A total of 103 isolates were collected from 11 provinces, and 61 races were identified. Frequencies of virulence to the 18 Yr genes varied from 0% to 95.1%, with low frequencies (defined as less than 10%) to Yr85 (7.8%) and Yr10 (8.7%); moderate frequencies (10%–40%) to Yr24 (15.5%), Yr32 (16.5%), YrSP (37.9%) and Yr76 (37.9%); and high frequencies (>40%) to Yr7 (47.6%), Yr1 (68.0%), Yr9 (69.9%), Yr27 (69.9%), Yr17 (79.6%), Yr6 (89.3%), YrExp2 (92.2%), Yr43 (93.2%), Yr8 (95.1%) and Yr44 (95.1%). Yr6, Yr8, Yr17, Yr27, Yr43, Yr44 and YrExp2 have almost lost their effectiveness in all provinces, while Yr10, Yr24, Yr32 and Yr85 are effective in Hebei, Shandong, Shaanxi, Gansu and Anhui. No isolate was virulent to Yr5 or Yr15, indicating their effectiveness against Pst populations in China. The Pst isolates had a wide virulence spectrum ranging from 3 to 16 virulence factors, with an average of 9.5. Comparing 2023 to 2021, the PstCN‐040 and races sharing virulence to Yr1, Yr6, Yr7, Yr8, Yr9, Yr17, Yr43, Yr44 and YrExp2 predominated, with frequencies 16.4% and 25.2%. This study provides valuable information on the virulence composition of Pst populations in China, helping to guide the development of genetic resistance for wheat in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve a more sustainable global food production, a shift from animal to plant protein based food is necessary. At the same time, these plant proteins are preferentially derived from side-streams of industrial processes. Wheat bran and germ represent two major side-streams of the wheat milling industry, and contain aqueous-phase soluble proteins with a well-balanced amino acid composition. To successfully use wheat bran and germ proteins in novel plant-based liquid and semi-solid foods, they need to (i) be rendered extractable and (ii) contribute functionally to stabilizing the food system. Prior heat treatment and the occurrence of intact cell walls are important barriers in this regard. Several strategies have been applied to overcome these issues, including physical processing and (bio)chemical modification. We here present a comprehensive, critical overview of the aqueous-phase extraction of protein from (modified) wheat bran and germ. Moreover, we discuss the functionality of the extracted protein, specifically in the context of liquid (foam- and emulsion-type) and semi-solid (gel-type) food applications. In each section, we identify important knowledge gaps and highlight several future prospects that could further increase the application potential of wheat bran and germ proteins in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat is one of the important food crops in the world, and the stability and growth of wheat production have a decisive impact on global food security and economic prosperity. Wheat counting is of great significance for agricultural management, yield prediction and resource allocation. Research shows that the wheat ear counting method based on deep learning has achieved remarkable results and the model accuracy is high. However, the complex background of wheat fields, dense wheat ears, small wheat ear targets, and different sizes of wheat ears make the accurate positioning and counting of wheat ears still face great challenges. To this end, an automatic positioning and counting method of wheat ears based on FIDMT-GhostNet (focal inverse distance transform maps - GhostNet) is proposed. Firstly, a lightweight wheat ear counting network using GhostNet as the feature extraction network is proposed, aiming to obtain multiscale wheat ear features. Secondly, in view of the difficulty in counting caused by dense wheat ears, the point annotation-based network FIDMT (focal inverse distance transform maps) is introduced as a baseline network to improve counting accuracy. Furthermore, to address the problem of less feature information caused by the small ear of wheat target, a dense upsampling convolution module is introduced to improve the resolution of the image and extract more detailed information. Finally, to overcome background noise or wheat ear interference, a local maximum value detection strategy is designed to realize automatic processing of wheat ear counting. To verify the effectiveness of the FIDMT-GhostNet model, the constructed wheat image data sets including WEC, WEDD and GWHD were used for training and testing. Experimental results show that the accuracy of the wheat ear counting model reaches 0.9145, and the model parameters reach 8.42M, indicating that the model FIDMT-GhostNet proposed in this study has good performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Powdery mildew (PM) poses an extreme threat to wheat yields and quality. In this study, 262 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of Doumai and Shi 4185 cross were used to map PM resistance genes across four environments. High-density genetic linkage map of the Doumai/Shi 4185 RIL population was constructed using the wheat Illumina iSelect 90K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. In total, four stable quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for PM resistance, QPm.caas-2AS, QPm.caas-4AS, QPm.caas-4BL, and QPm.caas-6BS, were detected and explained 5.6%-15.6% of the phenotypic variances. Doumai contributed all the resistance alleles of QPm.caas-2AS, QPm.caas-4AS, QPm.caas-4BL, and QPm.caas-6BS. Among these, QPm.caas-4AS and QPm.caas-6BS overlapped with the previously reported loci, whereas QPm.caas-2AS and QPm.caas-4BL are potentially novel. In addition, six highconfidence genes encoding the NBS-LRR-like resistance protein, disease resistance protein family, and calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine-kinase were selected as the candidate genes for PM resistance. Three kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers, Kasp_PMR_2AS for QPm.caas-2AS, Kasp_PMR_4BL for QPm.caas-4BL, and Kasp_PMR_6BS for QPm.caas-6BS, were developed, and their genetic effects were validated in a natural population including 100 cultivars. These findings will offer valuable QTLs and available KASP markers to enhance wheat marker-assisted breeding for PM resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plant breeding played a very important role in transforming strawberries from being a niche crop with a small geographical footprint into an economically important crop grown across the planet. But even modern marker assisted breeding takes a considerable amount of time, over multiple plant generations, to produce a plant with desirable traits. As a quicker alternative, plants with desirable traits can be raised through tissue culture by doing precise genetic manipulations. Overexpression of morphogenic regulators previously known for meristem development, the transcription factors Growth-Regulating Factors (GRFs) and the GRF-Interacting Factors (GIFs), provided an efficient strategy for easier regeneration and transformation in multiple crops. Results: We present here a comprehensive protocol for the diploid strawberry Fragaria vesca Hawaii 4 (strawberry) regeneration and transformation under control condition as compared to ectopic expression of different GRF4-GIF1 chimeras from different plant species. We report that ectopic expression of Vitis vinifera VvGRF4-GIF1 provides significantly higher regeneration efficiency during re-transformation over wild-type plants. On the other hand, deregulated expression of miRNA resistant version of VvGRF4-GIF1 or Triticum aestivum (wheat) TaGRF4-GIF1 resulted in abnormalities. Transcriptomic analysis between the different chimeric GRF4-GIF1 lines indicate that differential expression of FvExpansin might be responsible for the observed pleiotropic effects. Similarly, cytokinin dehydrogenase/oxygenase and cytokinin responsive response regulators also showed differential expression indicating GRF4-GIF1 pathway playing important role in controlling cytokinin homeostasis. Conclusion: Our data indicate that ectopic expression of Vitis vinifera VvGRF4-GIF1 chimera can provide significant advantage over wild-type plants during strawberry regeneration without producing any pleiotropic effects seen for the miRNA resistant VvGRF4-GIF1 or TaGRF4-GIF1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAnalysis of bulk wheat consignments for naturally-occurring contaminants and residues from plant protection products is common, and helps manage potential health risks to consumers. The heterogeneous distribution of some mycotoxins in wheat has been described, however the distribution of other contaminants and residues has not yet been reported. This study characterized distributions of deoxynivalenol, ochratoxin A, ergot alkaloids, cadmium, and glyphosate in nine large consignments of wheat by analysing composite samples representing sub-lots prepared from increments obtained during the entire loading process. The widest span of concentrations within a consignment occurred for ochratoxin A (<0.5–22.9 µg/kg) and ergot alkaloids (0.009–0.486 mg/kg), followed by deoxynivalenol (<0.05–0.76 mg/kg) and glyphosate (<0.3–5.01 mg/kg), and then cadmium (0.022–0.102 mg/kg). Experimental semivariograms were plotted to model the spatio-temporal correlation of analytes within consignments during loading. Analyses demonstrated that distributions of contaminants and residues within a particular consignment differed, and that distributions of a particular contaminant or residue differed among consignments. The results indicate that sampling during only a portion of a loading or unloading process can result in a composite sample that is not representative of the consignment and thus increase the risk of misclassifying a consignment as compliant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease of wheat, causing yield losses, reduced grain quality, and mycotoxin contamination. Breeding can mitigate the severity of FHB epidemics, especially with genomics-assisted methods. The mechanisms underlying resistance to FHB in wheat have been extensively studied, including phenological traits and genome-wide markers associated with FHB severity. Here, we aimed to improve genomic prediction for FHB resistance across breeding programs by incorporating FHB-correlated traits and FHB-associated loci as model covariates. We combined phenotypic data on FHB severity, anthesis date, and plant height with genome-wide marker data from five Central European winter wheat breeding programs for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and genomic prediction. Within all populations, FHB was correlated with anthesis date and/or plant height, and a marker linked to the semi-dwarfing locus Rht-D1 was detected with GWAS for FHB. Including the Rht-D1 marker, anthesis date, and/or plant height as covariates in genomic prediction modeling improved prediction accuracy not only within populations but also in cross-population scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Structural variations (SVs) pervade plant genomes and contribute substantially to the phenotypic diversity. However, most SVs were ineffectively assayed due to their complex nature and the limitations of early genomic technologies. By applying the PacBio high‐fidelity (HiFi) sequencing for wheat genomes, we performed a comprehensive evaluation of mainstream long‐read aligners and SV callers in SV detection. The results indicated that the accuracy of deletion discovery is markedly influenced by callers, accounting for 87.73% of the variance, whereas both aligners (38.25%) and callers (49.32%) contributed substantially to the accuracy variance for insertions. Among the aligners, Winnowmap2 and NGMLR excelled in detecting deletions and insertions, respectively. For SV callers, SVIM achieved the best performance. We demonstrated that combining the aligners and callers mentioned above is optimal for SV detection. Furthermore, we evaluated the effect of sequencing depth on the accuracy of SV detection, revealing that low‐coverage HiFi sequencing is sufficiently robust for high‐quality SV discovery. This study thoroughly evaluated SV discovery approaches and established optimal workflows for investigating structural variations using low‐coverage HiFi sequencing in the wheat genome, which will advance SV discovery and decipher the biological functions of SVs in wheat and many other plants. Significance Statement: This study thoroughly evaluated structural variation (SV) discovery approaches and established optimal workflows for investigating SVs using low‐coverage HiFi sequencing in the wheat genome, which will advance SV discovery and decipher the biological functions of SVs in wheat and many other plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long‐term genetic studies of wild populations are very scarce, but are essential for connecting ecological and population genetics models, and for understanding the dynamics of biodiversity. We present a study of a wild wheat population sampled over a 36‐year period at high spatial resolution. We genotyped 832 individuals from regular sampling along transects during the course of the experiment. Genotypes were clustered into ecological microhabitats over scales of tens of metres, and this clustering was remarkably stable over the 36 generations of the study. Simulations show that it is difficult to determine whether this spatial and temporal stability reflects extremely limited dispersal or fine‐scale local adaptation to ecological parameters. Using a common‐garden experiment, we showed that the genotypes found in distinct microhabitats differ phenotypically. Our results provide a rare insight into the population genetics of a natural population over a long monitoring period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The integrity of wheat (Triticum aestivum) production is increasingly jeopardized by the fungal pathogen Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), particularly amid the vicissitudes of climate change.Here, we delineated the role of a wheat transcription factor, TaNAC1, which precipitates cellular apoptosis and fortifies resistance against Bgt. Utilizing BiFC, co‐immunoprecipitation, protein quantification, luciferase report assays, we determined that cytoplasmic TaNAC1‐7A undergoes phosphorylation at the S184/S258 sites by TaCDPK20, facilitating its nuclear translocation. This migration appears to prime further phosphorylation by TaMPK1, thereby enhancing transcriptional regulatory activity. Notably, the apoptotic activity of phosphorylated TaNAC1‐7A is negatively modulated by the nuclear protein phosphatase PP2Ac.Furthermore, activation of TaNAC1 phosphorylation initiates transcription of downstream genes TaSec1a and TaCAMTA4, through binding to the C[T/G]T[N7]A[A/C]G nucleic acid motif. Suppression of TaNAC1, TaCDPK20, and TaMPK1 in wheat compromises its resistance to Bgt strain E09, whereas overexpression of TaNAC1 and silencing of PP2Ac markedly elevate resistance levels.Our results reveal the pivotal role of TaNAC1 in basal resistance which is mediated by its effects on homotypic fusion, vacuolar protein sorting, and the expression of defense‐related genes. The findings highlight the potential through targeting TaNAC1 and its regulators as a strategy for improving wheat's resistance to fungal pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Meiotic crossovers (COs) generate genetic diversity and are crucial for viable gamete production. Plant COs are typically limited to 1–3 per chromosome pair, constraining the development of improved varieties, which in wheat is exacerbated by an extreme distal localisation bias. Advances in wheat genomics and related technologies provide new opportunities to investigate, and possibly modify, recombination in this important crop species. Here, we investigate the disruption of FIGL1 in tetraploid and hexaploid wheat as a potential strategy for modifying CO frequency/position.We analysed figl1 mutants and virus‐induced gene silencing lines cytogenetically. Genetic mapping was performed in the hexaploid.FIGL1 prevents abnormal meiotic chromosome associations/fragmentation in both ploidies. It suppresses class II COs in the tetraploid such that CO/chiasma frequency increased 2.1‐fold in a figl1 msh5 quadruple mutant compared with a msh5 double mutant. It does not appear to affect class I COs based on HEI10 foci counts in a hexaploid figl1 triple mutant. Genetic mapping in the triple mutant suggested no significant overall increase in total recombination across examined intervals but revealed large increases in specific individual intervals.Notably, the tetraploid figl1 double mutant was sterile but the hexaploid triple mutant was moderately fertile, indicating potential utility for wheat breeding. See also the Commentary on this article by Phillips & Lloyd, 244: 341–343. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sowing depth and simple blockage can limit the traditional planters in the wheat wheat-wide seedling belt during rotary tillage. In this study, the combination design was adopted with the fertilizer pipe and slide knife-type ditching. The slide knife-type ditching and fertilizer pipe were situated at the front-mounted of the working range gap of the wide seedling belt rotary tillage knife group. The coupling operation was realized for the slide knife-type ditching fertilizer pipe and rotary tillage knife group. Among them, the slide knife-type ditching and fertilizer pipe, rotary tillage knife group, seed distributor, and compaction wheel of the same seedling belt were collinear to create a wide seedling belt fertilization and sowing mode. The fundamental parameters were calculated for the blade line of the slide knife-type ditching fertilizer pipe and the arrangement of the rotary tillage knife group. An exponential function curve was fitted for the blade line, with a working depth of 100 mm. The rotary tillage knife group was featured by a symmetrical spiral arrangement with three rotary blades (L = 3) within the same soil soil-cutting area. In addition, the theoretical analysis was also carried out on the principle of cooperation between the slide knife-type ditching fertilizer pipe and the rotary tillage knife group. The discrete element simulation model was constructed to explore the traction force resistance of different slide knife-type ditching fertilizer pipes in the seedbed over time. A systematic investigation was made to clarify the influence of the relative position of the slide knife-type ditching fertilizer pipe and the rotary tillage knife group on the indexes, such as seedbed and sowing depth. The simulation results showed that there was the smallest resistance of 40° slide knife-type ditching fertilizer pipe. The front-mounted fertilizer pipe and rotary tillage knife group were combined to effectively avoid the influence of the fertilizer ditch on the consistency of sowing depth in the wide seedling belt. The field experiment was carried out with reference to the performance experiment standard of sowing operation. The experiment demonstrated that the new planter was better performed to realize the wide seedling belt sowing, when the forward speed of the machine was 1.11 m/s. The bBetter performance was achieved in the uniform sowing and a highly qualified rate of sowing depth, compared with the traditional planter. The qualified rate of sowing depth was 94.36%, while the coefficient of variation was 3.79%, indicating the excellent sowing. The front-mounted fertilizer pipe and the rotary tillage knife group were combined to form an 'inverted triangle' spatial pattern of three-dimensional distribution in the seed bed. This was also beneficial to the early nutrient absorption of the crop. The blockage was further avoided to cause by the small spacing between the fertilizer pipe and the seed distributor. The high passing was fully met the requirements for the wide seedling belt wheat planting. The findings can provide the support to optimize the wheat sowing device in the wide seedling belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 151 genotypes of durum and bread wheat exhibiting symptoms of stunting and bushy growth, leaf yellowing, and drying of clumps were recorded at ICAR-IARI Regional Station, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India from 2016 to 2018. The disease incidence was recorded more in durum wheat genotypes as compared to bread wheat genotypes. The presence of any virus, bacterial, and fungal pathogens was ruled out by applying cultural growth and electron microscopy. However, association of phytoplasmas presence was confirmed in 142 (out of 151) durum and bread wheat genotypes by employing PCR primer pairs of 16S rRNA, leuS and secA genes. The sequence analysis of all the genes and in silico RFLP analysis of 16S rDNA sequences of wheat phytoplasma strains identified them as rice yellow dwarf group (16SrXI-B) and Bermuda grass white leaf group (16SrXIV-A). Two symptomatic weed species (Parthenium hysterophorus and Cleome gynandra) tested positive for 16SrXI-B phytoplasma subgroup and four weed species (Cynodon dactylon, Digitaria sanguinalis, Euphorbia hirta and Rhynchosia minima) for 16SrXIV-A phytoplasma subgroup growing in and around wheat fields. Six hopper species identified from symptomatic wheat fields were also analyzed for phytoplasma presence. Three hopper species viz., Sogatella furcifera, Balclutha rubrostriata, and Exitianus indicus were tested positive to phytoplasmas in 16SrXIV group, while Sogatella kolophon, Cofana unimaculata, and Maiestas sp. tested positive to 16SrXI group of phytoplasmas in nested PCR assays. Transmission assays revealed that S. furcifera and B. rubrostriata successfully transmitted the 16SrXIV-A strain from infected wheat to healthy wheat plants; however, C. unimaculata was able to transmit 16SrXI-B subgroup from infected wheat to healthy wheat plants under glasshouse conditions. A variation in phytoplasma associated disease incidence was recorded on wheat genotypes in different years and was also found positively correlated with temperature, humidity, and hopper population. The identification of similar phytoplasma strains (16SrXI and 16SrXIV group) from wheat, weeds, and hoppers indicated potential risk of transmission of these strains to wheat genotypes and other agricultural crops, which needs further investigations on epidemiological aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Gametocidal (Gc) chromosomes have been widely utilized in genetic breeding due to their ability to induce chromosomal breakage and eliminate gametes that lack them. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have various functional mechanisms in regulating pollen and anther development; however, their regulatory contributions to Gc action are still unknown. Here, we identified 2824 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DE‐lncRNAs) from the anther tissues of Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring (CS) and Chinese Spring‐Gc 3C chromosome monosomic addition line (CS‐3C) through sequencing. In this study, we predicted 161 target mRNAs for 145 DE‐lncRNAs, including 104 cis‐regulatory, 60 trans‐regulatory, and three both cis‐regulatory and trans‐regulatory manner. Combined with our previous miRNA sequencing data, 241 DE‐lncRNAs functioned as potential endogenous target mimics (eTMs) for 84 differentially expressed microRNAs (DE‐miRNAs, including 12 novel miRNAs). The results of transient transformation in tobacco leaves indicated that L006278 could bind to MTCONS_00006277, which encoded a calcineurin CBL‐interacting protein kinase 19‐like, and suppress its expression. Furthermore, L117735 could function as an eTM for tae‐miR9657b‐3p, and L056972 could function as an eTM for gc‐m2240‐5p. To explore the function of lncRNAs in the process of Gc action, we transformed L006278, an up‐regulated lncRNA in CS‐3C, into rice to analyze its effect on pollen fertility. Overexpression of L006278 led to a reduction in rice pollen fertility. Overall, our findings indicate that lncRNAs can contribute to the regulation of pollen fertility during the process of Gc action by regulating the expression levels of target mRNAs and acting as eTMs for certain key miRNAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of managing waste bread is a global concern, with significant environmental and the economic implications. The utilisation of waste bread for bioethanol production, employing energy-saving technology, could prevent these consequences and reduce the consumption of traditionally used fossil fuels. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the type of waste bread (wheat and wheat–rye sourdough) and the mash preparation method on the results of alcoholic fermentation and the concentration of selected congeners in the distillates. The highest fermentation efficiency (96% of theoretical) was achieved for both types of bread through the utilisation of the pressureless starch liberation method combined with simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. The separate saccharification of starch resulted in lower process efficiencies (from 85.75 to 88.60% of theoretical). The application of the native starch hydrolysis method (without starch activation) for the fermentation of wheat bread-based mashes exhibited a higher efficiency (87.85% of the theoretical) than that observed for the wheat–rye bread-based mash sample (83.74% of theoretical). All of the obtained spirit distillates exhibited a low concentration of methanol (≤300 mg/L alcohol 100% v/v) and comply with the requirements of the EU regulation for ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin (rectified spirit). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing cadmium (Cd) accumulation in wheat is an effective way to decrease the potential threats of Cd to human health. The application of lanthanum (La) in agricultural fields is eliciting extensive attention due to its beneficial effects on improving yields and inhibiting Cd accumulation in edible parts of crops. However, the potential mechanism of La-restricted Cd accumulation in crop grains is not entirely understood. Here, we investigated the effects of La and Cd accumulation in wheat grains by implementing application at the shooting and heading stages. Some associated mechanisms were explored. Results showed that La application at the shooting and heading stages considerably promoted the thousand-grain weight. La application at the shooting and heading stages increased Cd accumulation in the first node beneath the panicle (N1) but reduced Cd levels in the other tissues. La application at the heading stage exerted greater effects on Cd storage in N1 while reducing Cd concentrations in the other tissues compared with La application at the shooting stage. La addition substantially decreased the translocation of Cd from the lower nodes to the upper internodes, but increased Cd translocation from the lower internodes to the upper nodes. The expression of TaZIP7 in N1 was downregulated by La treatment. These results suggest that the effective reduction in Cd in wheat grains by La application at the heading stage is probably a consequence of the successful promotion of Cd storage in nodes by downregulating the expression of TaZIP7 during the grain-filling stage, thereby hindering the redirection Cd from nodes to grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive use of chemical fertilizers poses significant environmental and health concerns. Microbial-based biofertilizers are increasingly being promoted as safe alternatives. However, they have limitations such as gaining farmers' trust, the need for technical expertise, and the variable performance of microbes in the field. The development of nanobiofertilizers as agro-stimulants and agro-protective agents for climate-smart and sustainable agriculture could overcome these limitations. In the present study, auxin-producing Enterococcus sp. SR9, based on its plant growth-promoting traits, was selected for the microbe-assisted synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). These microbial-nanoparticles SR9AgNPs were characterized using UV/Vis spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy, and a size analyzer. To test the efficacy of SR9AgNPs compared to treatment with the SR9 isolate alone, the germination rates of cucumber (Cucumis sativus), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seeds were analyzed. The data revealed that seeds simultaneously treated with SR9AgNPs and SR9 showed better germination rates than untreated control plants. In the case of vigor, wheat showed the most positive response to the nanoparticle treatment, with a higher vigor index than the other crops analyzed. The toxicity assessment of SR9AgNPs demonstrated no apparent toxicity at a concentration of 100 ppm, resulting in the highest germination and biomass gain in wheat seedlings. This work represents the first step in the characterization of microbial-assisted SR9AgNPs and encourages future studies to extend these conclusions to other relevant crops under field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nested association mapping (NAM) populations emerged as a multi-parental strategy that combines the high statistical power of biparental linkage mapping with greater allelic richness of association mapping. Several statistical models have been developed for marker-trait associations (MTAs) in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), which ranges from simple to increasingly complex models. These statistical models vary in their performance for detecting real association with the avoidance of false positives and false negatives. Furthermore, significant threshold methods play an equally important role for controlling spurious associations. In this study, we compared the performance of seven different statistical models ranging from single to multi-locus models on eight different simulated traits with varied genetic architecture for a NAM population of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The best identified model was further used to identify MTAs for 11 different agronomic and spectral reflectance traits, which were collected on the NAM population between 2014 and 2016. The "Bayesian information and linkage disequilibrium iteratively nested keyway (BLINK)" model performed better than all other models observed based on QQ plots and detection of real association in a simulated data set. The results from model comparison suggest that BLINK controls both false positives and false negatives under the different genetic architecture of simulated traits. Comparison of multiple significant threshold methods suggests that Bonferroni correction performed superior for controlling false positives and false negatives and complements the performance of GWAS models. BLINK identified 45 MTAs using Bonferroni correction of 0.05 for 11 different phenotypic traits in the NAM population. This study helps identify the best statistical model and significant threshold method for performing association analysis in subsequent NAM population studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many soils face dual challenges of cadmium (Cd) contamination and salinization. However, the response of crops, especially wheat, to combined Cd and salinity stress is not understood. Here, wheat was grown in a hydroponic model for 14 days under single and combined Cd and NaCl stresses. Growth parameters, tissue Cd2+ and Na+ contents, and leaf chlorophyll (Chl), O2•-, and MDA levels were determined. Comparative transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses of the leaves were performed. The results showed that combined stress had a greater inhibitory effect on Chl contents and generated more O2•- and MDA, resulting in more severe wheat growth retardation than those under Cd or NaCl stress. Stress-induced decrease in Chl levels may be attributed to the inhibition of Chl biosynthesis, activation of Chl degradation, or a decline in glutamate content. Cd addition weakened the promotional effect of NaCl on SOS1 gene expression, thereby increasing the Na+ content. Contrastingly, NaCl supplementation downregulated the Nramp and ZIP gene expressions related to Cd uptake and transport, thereby impeding Cd2+ accumulation. All stresses enhanced tryptophan content via promoting tryptophan biosynthesis. Meanwhile, Cd and NaCl stresses activated phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and purine metabolism, respectively, thereby increasing the levels of caffeic acid, fumaric acid, and uric acid. Activating the TCA cycle was important in the wheat's response to combined stress. Additionally, NaCl and combined stresses affected starch and sucrose metabolism, resulting in sucrose and trehalose accumulation. Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the response of wheat to the combined Cd and salinity stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subsampling a reduced number of accessions from ex situ genebank collections, known as core collections, is a widely applied method for the investigation of stored genetic diversity and for an exploitation by breeding and research. Optimizing core collections for genome-wide association studies could potentially maximize opportunities to discover relevant and rare variation. In the present study, eight strategies to sample core collections were implemented separately for two traits, namely susceptibility to yellow rust and stem lodging, on about 6,300 accessions of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Each strategy maximized different parameters or emphasized another aspect of the collection; the strategies relied on genomic data, phenotypic data or a combination thereof. The resulting trait-customized core collections of eight different sizes, covering the range between 100 and 800 accession samples, were analyzed based on characteristics such as population stratification, number of duplicate genotypes and genetic diversity. Furthermore, the statistical power for an association study was investigated as a key criterion for comparisons. While sampling extreme phenotypes boosts the power especially for smaller core collections of up to 500 accession samples, maximization of genetic diversity within the core collection minimizes population stratification and avoids the accumulation of less informative duplicate genotypes when increasing the size of a core collection. Advantages and limitations of different strategies to create trait-customized core collections are discussed for different scenarios of the availability of resources and data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Wheat is one of major sources of human cadmium (Cd) intake. Reducing the grain Cd concentrations in wheat is urgently required to ensure food security and human health. In this study, we performed a field experiment at Wenjiang experimental field of Sichuan Agricultural University (Chengdu, China) to reveal the effects of FeCl3 and Fe2(SO4)3 on reducing grain Cd concentrations in dwarf Polish wheat (Triticum polonicum L., 2n = 4x = 28, AABB). Results: Soil application of FeCl3 and Fe2(SO4)3 (0.04 M Fe3+/m2) significantly reduced grain Cd concentration in DPW at maturity by 19.04% and 33.33%, respectively. They did not reduce Cd uptake or root-to-shoot Cd translocation, but increased Cd distribution in lower leaves, lower internodes, and glumes. Meanwhile, application of FeCl3 and Fe2(SO4)3 up-regulated the expression of TpNRAMP5, TpNRAMP2 and TpYSL15 in roots, and TpYSL15 and TpZIP3 in shoots; they also downregulated the expression of TpZIP1 and TpZIP3 in roots, and TpIRT1 and TpNRAMP5 in shoots. Conclusions: The reduction in grain Cd concentration caused by application of FeCl3 and Fe2(SO4)3 was resulted from changes in shoot Cd distribution via regulating the expression of some metal transporter genes. Overall, this study reports the physiological pathways of soil applied Fe fertilizer on grain Cd concentration in wheat, suggests a strategy for reducing grain Cd concentration by altering shoot Cd distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]