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UC Davis team identifies wheat gene that increases yield
The findings could help growers produce more wheat without expanding operation
A team of scientists from University of California, Davis, have identified a new gene variant in wheat that can increase the amount of the grain produced, new research published in the journal PLOS Genetics finds.
Wheat is a staple of food diets worldwide and the gene discovery could allow farmers to grow more food without increasing land use. Increased yield could also lower consumer prices, making the crop more accessible.
“We have a growing human population that likes to eat every day,” said Jorge Dubcovsky, a plant sciences distinguished professor who led the research. “We need to produce more wheat in the same space so we need plants that are more productive.”
The researchers found a gene – WAPO1 – that controls the maximum number of grains in a wheat spike. Breeding the beneficial gene variant into the plants could delay the formation of the terminal spikelet, providing room for more grains to grow in each spike rather than ending production of grain.
WAPO1 is one of the first genes discovered that can affect wheat yield. “We are trying to make more productive wheat varieties and we are starting to understand how that trait is controlled,” Dubcovsky said.
Pasta wheat lacking the gene
The gene variant for high grain number is found frequently in bread wheats but not in pasta wheats. By breeding the beneficial gene variant into those pasta wheat varieties, growers could increase yield by 4% to 5% in cultivars that have the biomass capacity to fill the extra grains.
“We developed molecular markers to select for the form of that gene to produce increased yield,” Dubcovsky said. “It's a significant step forward.”
Previous research by the team mapped the gene and identified others that could affect yield. This research confirmed those findings for WAPO1.
Discovery on path to future yield increases
The WAPO1 gene is part of a network of genes that work together to control yield, and researchers need to identify the best variant combinations to maximize yield. Solving this puzzle can lead to better production rates.
“We will continue to try to understand the network of genes that control the yield of wheat,” he said.
Saarah Kuzay, Huiqiong Lin, Chengxia Li, Shisheng Chen, Daniel P. Woods and Junli Zhang from UC Davis also contributed to the research, as did scientists from Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Heinrich Heine University and Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences.
Funding was provided by USDAs National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Food Research Initiative, the International Wheat Yield Partnership and Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Continuous ag yield growth has benefits and pitfalls
The Modesto Bee yesterday ran a story about the steady yield growth of Stanislaus County agricultural crops over the past 100-plus years.
These increasing yields, wrote reporter John Holland, have enabled farmers to help feed a growing world population and allowed the vast majority of U.S. residents to live in cities and suburbs.
"Efficient farming also has kept food fairly affordable, meaning that consumers have extra money to spend on housing, clothing and other purchases that drive the economy," the story said.
Holland also listed "pitfalls" of the county's high yielding agricultural land:
- High yields can create surpluses that drive down prices for farmers
- High yields might lead some people to think that preserving farmland from development is not quite so important, because the remaining land can produce plenty
The article credited UC Cooperative Extension for helping educate farmers on new agricultural technology that has boosted yields. Holland included a quote from UCCE farm advisor Kathy Kelley Anderson noting an important benefit to farmers of adopting improved practices.
"To farm any crop, there is a certain amount of monetary inputs you have to supply," Anderson said. "If you can increase your yield, you increase your profit."
UCCE research and education has helped farmers boost crop yields.
