Ancient wild relatives of wheat offer hope for climate-resilient crops – study
A CIMMYT study reveals that ancient wild wheat relatives could combat climate change challenges. These resilient varieties, preserved in 155 genebanks, offer crucial traits for developing climate-resilient wheat. Incorporating these traits has already reduced fungicide use significantly. As wheat faces extreme weather and pests, using this genetic diversity is essential for improving crop resilience and sustainability.
Ancient wild relatives of wheat might hold the key to overcoming the challenges posed by climate change, a new study shows.
The research by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre revealed that wheat wild relatives that have survived for millions of years may provide the solution to the crop adapting to climate change.
Two recent studies led by CIMMYT showed tapping into ancient genetic diversity could revolutionise wheat breeding and enhance global food security.
Dr Matthew Reynolds, a co-author of the studies, said there is a growing threat to wheat posed by increasingly erratic and extreme weather conditions.
This includes heat waves, delayed rains, flooding and emerging pests and diseases.
“We’re at a critical juncture. Our current breeding strategies have served us well, but they must now address more complex challenges posed by climate change,” Reynolds said.
Wheat, which supplies 20 per cent of the world’s calories and protein, is staple food for 1.5 billion people in the Global South.
In Kenya, wheat production is hampered by challenges such as seed recycling, periodic outbreaks of wheat stem rust (Ug99) and a land tenure system that discourages long-term soil investment due to short-term leases.
A report from the United States Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Global Agricultural Information Network, revealed that wheat production rose from 275,000 tonnes in the 2022-23 marketing year to 310,000 tonnes in 2023-24.
This increase was attributed to improved yields from timely rainfall and a slight expansion in the area harvested, as higher wheat prices prompted new farmers to lease land in Narok for wheat cultivation.
According to the World Bank, there is a rising demand for wheat in Kenya, particularly among the growing middle and upper-income groups who are increasingly consuming wheat-based products like pizza, pastries and bread.
The study further pointed out a large untapped reservoir of nearly 800,000 wheat seed samples preserved in 155 genebanks globally.
These samples include wild relatives and ancient varieties that have survived diverse environmental stresses over millennia.
Reynolds said only a small fraction of this genetic diversity has been utilised in modern crop breeding.
One of the studies, published in Global Change Biology, highlighted the significant impact of traits from wild relatives, including their contribution to environmental sustainability.
The study estimated that disease-resistant wheat varieties have helped avoid the use of approximately one billion litres of fungicide since 2000.
Dr Susanne Dreisigacker, a molecular breeder at CIMMYT and co-author of the study said, “Without transferring disease-resistant genes from wild relatives to wheat, fungicide use would have easily doubled, harming both human and environmental health.”
Dr Victor Kommerell, co-author and director of CropSustaiN, a new research initiative, praised the development of BNI-wheat (biological nitrification inhibition wheat) as a landmark achievement.
“Breeding the first beneficial interaction with the soil microbiome, BNI-wheat, is a landmark achievement, opening up new opportunities to enhance cropping systems resilience and reduce environmental footprints,” he said.
The second study, published in Nature Climate Change, noted the urgent need to expand the exploration and application of genetic diversity for improved climate resilience.
It indicated the need for traits such as deeper, more extensive root systems for better water and nutrient access, photosynthesis that performs well across a broader temperature range, enhanced heat tolerance during reproduction and improved survival in conditions of delayed rains or temporary flooding.
“Tapping into the complex climate-resilient traits so urgently needed today requires both access to greater genetic diversity and a paradigm shift in breeding approaches,” said Dr Julie King from Nottingham University, a co-author of the study.
Co-author Dr Benjamin Kilian said there are tools to quickly explore genetic diversity that was previously inaccessible to breeders.
“The most significant impacts will come through widespread sharing of genetic resources and technologies,” said the coordinator of the Crop Trust’s Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods, and Development project.
The project supports global crop diversity conservation.
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