Triticeae Genomics and Genetics, 2025, Vol.16, No.6, 269-277 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/tgg 275 pollution. But if all the measures are to be cut, what farmers are most worried about is the reduction in production. The issue that genetically modified wheat needs to address is precisely how to reduce nitrogen input while maintaining stable production. Some test strains show promising prospects: under the condition of reduced fertilizer application, the nitrogen absorption efficiency has increased, the yield has not decreased, and the loss of nitrogen in the environment has also been reduced. Long-standing problems such as nitrate leaching, ammonia volatilization and even greenhouse gas emissions have thus been alleviated. This strategy of regulating nitrogen metabolism through root systems does indeed provide a new idea for environmental stress reduction (Tsatsakis et al., 2017). However, whether this effect can be stable in the long term still depends on the actual performance after the field promotion. 7.3 Regulatory and public acceptance of commercial application of transgenic wheat Technical feasibility does not mean that the market will accept it smoothly. In the process of promoting the commercialization of genetically modified wheat, regulatory standards and public attitudes are often two major obstacles that cannot be avoided. Even though relatively strict biosafety assessment systems have been established in some countries, such as China, where multiple layers of checks are carried out at the environmental and food levels, public doubts still exis (Yu, 2025). Whether one can eat with peace of mind or not, and whether it will affect the ecology, many people are not ignorant of the technology, but rather reluctant to believe it easily. Therefore, relying solely on technical argumentation is not enough. The transparency of regulation is as important as the sincerity of communication. The scientific community can keep saying "safe", but whether it can ultimately gain wide trust still depends on continuous data accumulation and convincing social practice to answer. 8 Conclusion and Future Perspectives Not all methods to improve nitrogen fertilizer utilization efficiency (NUE) have to address the root cause. Sometimes, focusing on the root system can be more effective. In the study, when nitrate transporters like OsNRT1.1A were preferentially overexpressed in the root system, wheat could still absorb sufficient nitrogen under low-nitrogen conditions. Not only did it mature earlier, but its yield also increased. Even better, it causes no disturbance to the growth of the above-ground parts. This type of root-specific promoter does not pursue "omnipotence", but can raise the efficiency of nitrogen absorption and assimilation to a new level. Compared with those one-size-fits-all breeding methods, it is obviously more precise and saves more fertilizer input, which has practical significance for achieving sustainable production. Of course, reality is never simple. Even if the data is good, there is still a long way to go to widely apply this technology to actual production. First of all, NUE itself is not determined by a single gene. It is influenced by many genetic and environmental factors together, and it is not easy to clearly distinguish the effect. Moreover, wheat itself is difficult to transform, let alone ensure the stable expression of genetically modified organisms. The problems that may arise from off-target effects, coupled with the uncertainties at the policy level, are also obstacles. What's more complicated is that if one wants to superimpose multiple genes to control multiple links of NUE, more complex tools are still needed. A slight mistake may cause side effects. To move forward, one might need to change their perspective. For instance, by binding the root-specific promoter with CRISPR/Cas9 technology, the regulation of genes can be made more precise. The combined expression (stacking) of different genes related to nitrogen utilization, if operated properly, has the potential to bring about synergistic effects. In addition, transgenic techniques do not have to be used alone. They can be fully combined with high-throughput phenotypic and multi-omics integration breeding strategies to accelerate the screening of nitrogen-saving and high-yield wheat varieties. Finally, apart from technology, public acceptance and environmental safety issues should not be overlooked either. If these achievements cannot be recognized by both farmers and consumers, they may be stuck in the laboratory and unable to leave the "ivory tower". Acknowledgments I am grateful to Dr. J. Zhou for this assistance with the serious reading and helpful discussions during the course of this work.
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