Triticeae Genomics and Genetics, 2025, Vol.16, No.4, 148-155 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/tgg 151 4 Cultivate High-Quality and High-Nutrition Wheat Varieties 4.1 Integration of quality and yield traits When breeding, we should not only look at how much grain wheat can produce, but also whether it is nutritious. In the past, many breeding projects pursued high yields, but nutrition was easily overlooked. Now research is paying more and more attention to both aspects. Scientists hope to select varieties that are both high-yield and nutritious, such as those with high protein content and trace elements such as iron and zinc (Voss-Fels et al., 2019; Hao et al., 2022). Some traditional varieties and wild wheat contain some useful genes that can improve nutrition or yield. Introducing these genes into modern wheat can make the new varieties more nutritious while ensuring that the yield does not decrease. This approach is very helpful in improving people's malnutrition problems. 4.2 Hybrid vigor of hybrid wheat and its quality traits Hybrid wheat is to "match" two different wheat varieties to combine their respective advantages. The wheat bred in this way can not only have high yield, but also have better quality, such as more protein and stronger disease resistance (Zhao et al., 2015). But to breed good hybrid varieties, the most important thing is to choose the right "parents". Current genetic technology can help us analyze the effects of different combinations and improve the success rate. This method can select the most suitable combination and help cultivate high-quality wheat to meet people's demand for nutritious food. 4.3 Stress-resistant varieties with high-quality traits In recent years, climate change has become more and more obvious. Extreme weather such as droughts and heat waves are increasing. Therefore, we need wheat that can grow well in this environment. This kind of wheat must not only be drought-resistant and heat-resistant, but also maintain good quality. Now breeders have added these "stress-resistant" genes to high-quality wheat (Mondal et al., 2016). They use some new technologies, such as genomic selection and high-throughput phenotyping technology (Paux et al., 2022), to find suitable breeding materials more quickly. The wheat bred in this way is not only nutritious, but also can be grown in different regions. They help improve food security and better cope with complex environments in the future. 5 Case Study: Regional Implementation of Fortified Wheat Varieties 5.1 Success in India in promoting zinc biofortified wheat India has introduced zinc-enriched wheat varieties to reduce zinc deficiency. Zinc deficiency is a common health problem in India and neighboring countries. Farmers have helped wheat absorb more zinc by changing the way they apply fertilizers, such as using phosphorus-rich compost and zinc sulfate (Table 1). This method is called "biofortification". Studies have shown that it does increase the zinc content of wheat grains (Paramesh et al., 2020). This method not only makes wheat more nutritious, but also makes the soil healthier and the crops grow better. Therefore, it also helps promote more environmentally friendly agriculture (Sharma et al., 2019). Table 1 Influence of integrated P management and Zn application on P concentration and uptake by wheat (average of 2 years) (Adopted from Paramesh et al., 2020) Treatments Grain P concentration (%) Straw P concentration (%) Grain P (kg/ha) Straw P (kg/ha) Total P (kg/ha) Phosphorus levels Without P 0.28c 0.13b 10.4c 7.6c 17.9d P100-F 0.3 b 0.13b 13.5b 8.2c 21.7c P100-PEC 0.38 a 0.15a 18.1a 10.5b 28.6a P50-PEC+P50-F 0.37 a 0.15a 18.0a 11.0a 29.0a P75-PEC+VAM+PSB 0.38 a 0.15 a 17.3a 10.2b 27.4b Application of ZnSO4.7H2O Without Zn 0.34b 0.15a 13.9c 9.1b 23.0d 25kg-Soil 0.33b 0.13c 15.6b 9.1b 24.7c Two foliar ** 0.36a 0.15a 15.4b 9.8a 25.2b Soil+Foliar * 0.36a 0.14b 16.9a 10.0a 26.9a Note: **-Two foliar spray at anthesis and one week after anthesis stage; *-one foliar spray at one week after anthesis stage. Similar letter in a column indicates non-significance difference between treatments (Adopted from Paramesh et al., 2020)
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