Maximising yield potential of wheat
Lead Research Organisation:
Rothamsted Research
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Technical Summary
Yield potential is defined as the final grain yield of a genotype when grown under optimal conditions, in an environment to which it is adapted, free from competition and from biotic and abiotic stresses. Increasing yield potential is a major component of any crop improvement programme and decades of plant breeding have established that such increases in yield potential are also expressed across a wide range of more limiting environments. However, recent data suggests that genetic improvement of yield may be reaching a plateau; in particular, increases from improving harvest index are close to a theoretical maximum, and novel approaches through increasing biomass and manipulating resource use and architecture need to be considered. In this project we will address individual processes that limit biomass and yield potential by accessing existing genetic diversity in these characters and introducing novel diversity through transgenesis and TILLING where appropriate.
The traits to be addressed, partly in association with the other projects, include photosynthetic efficiency, carbon and nitrogen partitioning, canopy and spike architecture, canopy longevity, nutrient assimilation and fertility. The project will exploit bioinformatics approaches and crop modelling to explore the interdependence of different yield components and allow these to be investigated experimentally.
The overall aims are to:
1. To exploit natural and induced variation and biotechnology to increase biomass production by increasing both photosynthesis and nitrogen use efficiency.
2. To enhance yield components by manipulating yield traits under hormonal control.
The traits to be addressed, partly in association with the other projects, include photosynthetic efficiency, carbon and nitrogen partitioning, canopy and spike architecture, canopy longevity, nutrient assimilation and fertility. The project will exploit bioinformatics approaches and crop modelling to explore the interdependence of different yield components and allow these to be investigated experimentally.
The overall aims are to:
1. To exploit natural and induced variation and biotechnology to increase biomass production by increasing both photosynthesis and nitrogen use efficiency.
2. To enhance yield components by manipulating yield traits under hormonal control.
Planned Impact
unavailable
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Malcolm Hawkesford (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
O'Hara LE
(2013)
How do sugars regulate plant growth and development? New insight into the role of trehalose-6-phosphate.
in Molecular plant
Furbank R
(2013)
Increasing photosynthetic capacity and efficiency of wheat
in 3rd International Workshop of the Wheat Yield Consortium, Cuidad Obregon, March 2013
Kondhare K
(2013)
The role of sensitivity to abscisic acid and gibberellin in pre-maturity a-amylase formation in wheat grains
in Journal of Cereal Science
Parry MAJ
(2013)
Replacing the large subunit of Rubisco
in Proceedings 3rd International Workshop of the Wheat Yield Consortium, Cuidad Obregon, 5-7 March 2013
Urbanová T
(2013)
Analysis of gibberellins as free acids by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
in Talanta
Muttucumaru N
(2013)
Effects of nitrogen and sulfur fertilization on free amino acids, sugars, and acrylamide-forming potential in potato.
in Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
Carmo-Silva AE
(2013)
The regulatory properties of Rubisco activase differ among species and affect photosynthetic induction during light transitions.
in Plant physiology
Hawkesford MJ
(2013)
Mineral composition analysis: measuring anion uptake and anion concentrations in plant tissues.
in Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
Nunes C
(2013)
The Trehalose 6-Phosphate/SnRK1 Signaling Pathway Primes Growth Recovery following Relief of Sink Limitation
in Plant Physiology
Chen Z
(2013)
Expression analysis of abscisic acid (ABA) and metabolic signalling factors in developing endosperm and embryo of barley.
in Journal of cereal science
Nunes C
(2013)
Regulation of growth by the trehalose pathway: relationship to temperature and sucrose.
in Plant signaling & behavior
Chen L
(2013)
GA-responsive dwarfing gene Rht12 affects the developmental and agronomic traits in common bread wheat.
in PloS one
Elmore J S
(2013)
Acrylamide and flavour in potato crisps
in Aspects of Applied Biology
Coelho Filho M
(2013)
The involvement of gibberellin signalling in the effect of soil resistance to root penetration on leaf elongation and tiller number in wheat
in Plant and Soil
Luo Y
(2013)
Microbial biomass growth, following incorporation of biochars produced at 350 °C or 700 °C, in a silty-clay loam soil of high and low pH
in Soil Biology and Biochemistry
Curtis TY
(2013)
Advances in reduction of acrylamide-forming potential in wheat. In Acrylamide, furans and other food-borne contaminants, from plant science to food chemistry
in Aspects of Applied Biology
Wan Y
(2013)
A novel family of ?-gliadin genes are highly regulated by nitrogen supply in developing wheat grain.
in Journal of experimental botany
Parry MA
(2013)
Rubisco activity and regulation as targets for crop improvement.
in Journal of experimental botany
Lawlor DW
(2013)
Genetic engineering to improve plant performance under drought: physiological evaluation of achievements, limitations, and possibilities.
in Journal of experimental botany
Bai C
(2013)
Identification of QTLs associated with seedling root traits and their correlation with plant height in wheat.
in Journal of experimental botany
Huang L
(2013)
Isolation and characterization of ERECTA genes and their expression patterns in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).
in Australian Journal of Crop Science
Shewry PR
(2013)
Natural variation in grain composition of wheat and related cereals.
in Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
Jin K
(2013)
How do roots elongate in a structured soil?
in Journal of experimental botany
Andrade-Sanchez P
(2013)
Development and evaluation of a field-based high-throughput phenotyping platform.
in Functional plant biology : FPB
De Kok L
(2013)
Plant functioning in a changing global and polluted environment
in Environmental and Experimental Botany
Hawkesford M
(2013)
Prospects of doubling global wheat yields
in Food and Energy Security
Postles J
(2013)
Effects of variety and nutrient availability on the acrylamide-forming potential of rye grain.
in Journal of cereal science
Jones HD
(2014)
Biotechnology of Major Cereals
Jin K
(2014)
Wheat root growth responses to horizontal stratification of fertiliser in a water-limited environment
in Plant and Soil
Lawlor D
(2014)
Source/sink interactions underpin crop yield: the case for trehalose 6-phosphate/SnRK1 in improvement of wheat
in Frontiers in Plant Science
Muttucumaru N
(2014)
Evidence for the complex relationship between free amino acid and sugar concentrations and acrylamide-forming potential in potato.
in The Annals of applied biology
Muttucumaru N
(2014)
Photosynthetic assimilation of ¹4C into amino acids in potato (Solanum tuberosum) and asparagine in the tubers.
in Planta
Khattak G.S.S.
(2014)
Evaluation of wheat mutants for thermo-stability through physiological parameters
in Sabrao Journal of Breeding and Genetics
Gallova Barbora
(2014)
The roles of nitrogen and gibberellin metabolism in the control of stature in wheat
Sparks CA
(2014)
Genetic transformation of wheat via particle bombardment.
in Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
Andralojc P
(2014)
Photosynthesis and growth in diverse willow genotypes
in Food and Energy Security
Galmés J
(2014)
Expanding knowledge of the Rubisco kinetics variability in plant species: environmental and evolutionary trends.
in Plant, cell & environment
Walker A
(2014)
The relationship of leaf photosynthetic traits - V cmax and J max - to leaf nitrogen, leaf phosphorus, and specific leaf area: a meta-analysis and modeling study
in Ecology and Evolution
Hedden P
(2014)
Jake MacMillan: A pioneering chemist in plant biology.
in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Pickett JA
(2014)
Delivering sustainable crop protection systems via the seed: exploiting natural constitutive and inducible defence pathways.
in Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences
Curtis TY
(2014)
Reducing the potential for processing contaminant formation in cereal products.
in Journal of cereal science
Araus JL
(2014)
Phenotyping and other breeding approaches for a New Green Revolution.
in Journal of integrative plant biology
Curtis T
(2014)
Food security: the challenge of increasing wheat yield and the importance of not compromising food safety.
in The Annals of applied biology
Lin MT
(2014)
ß-Carboxysomal proteins assemble into highly organized structures in Nicotiana chloroplasts.
in The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology
Wan Y
(2014)
Effects of nitrogen nutrition on the synthesis and deposition of the ?-gliadins of wheat.
in Annals of botany
Jackson Robert
(2014)
Chemical dissection of hormone signalling in Arabidopsis
| Description | Photosynthesis; variation in most photosynthetic traits, determined for diversity panels, has been shown to be heritable. Further work is now being undertaken on a mapping population to establish the genetic basis for the variation. Two genes homologous to ERECTA in Arabidopsis were identified on chromosomes 6 (TaER2) and 7 (TaER1) of bread wheat, with copies of each gene on each of the genomes of wheat. The expression of TaER1 and TaER2 was significantly and negatively associated with transpiration rate and carbon isotope determination while significantly and positively correlated with flag leaf area, biomass and yield. Transgenic lines with small decreases in Rubisco have been identified and are being characterised. These lines are predicted to have higher Rubisco activation states, and better nitrogen use efficiency and no yield penalty. Transgenic lines with over- and under-expression of CA1Pase have been produced which are predicted to have higher rates of carboxylation by less inhibited Rubisco under optimal conditions (CA1Pase over-expression), and better resilience to severe stress by inhibitor-protected Rubisco (CA1Pase under-expression). Nitrogen transport has been investigated for wheat nitrate and amino acid transporters with respect to N-uptake and N-remobilisation during senescence and grain N-accumulation. Influence of elevated CO2 on core genes in relation to nitrogen metabolism including those N-transporter have been investigated in wheat. Transgenic approaches in wheat manipulating expression (RNAi) of key transporters including cellular tissue localisation (GUS) and complementation (Arabidopsis mutant) for functional analysis are in development. Transient assays have confirmed subcellular localisation and yeast complementation substrate specificity for the analysed amino acid transporter. A NAC transcription factor has been identified involved in regulation of wheat senescence. Transgenic wheat lines manipulating specific NAC gene expression with delayed senescence and increasing grain N-concentration are promising for further analysis. Additional uplift projects have examined phosphate and zinc transporters in relation to acquisition efficiency and partitioning to the grain in relation to yield and other key phenotypic (NUE) characters using BBSRC WISP project germplasm. Phenotyping platforms development included establishment of major fixed site installation in summer 2015, including commissioning and testing on a variety of wheat germplasm with multiple N inputs. Additionally development and utilization of digital elevation modelling for crop height from UAV-based imagery has been refined. A field based phenotyping platform has been developed. We will combine resultant phenotypic data with genomic and RNAseq data to work towards predictive phenotyping Three novel TILLING alleles of Rht-1 have been extensively back-crossed into cv. Cadenza to reduce mutational load. These lines are being tested for effects on yield parameters in the field, alongside the "Green Revolution" Rht-D1b semi-dwarfing allele introgressed into the same variety and in comparison with TILLING alleles of the gibberellin (GA) biosynthetic gene TaGA20ox1. Wheat genome sequence data generated within the Wheat Genomics sLOLA, in collaboration with IWGSC, has been used to identify/reassemble most of the genes from the GA biosynthetic pathway of wheat).The map locations of the GA biosynthetic and signalling genes have been established by use of the W7984 whole genome assembly and its associated POPSEQ data. Expression patterns of all genes across development have been determined by exploiting RNA-seq from both IWGSC and our own experiments, identifying candidates for manipulation of specific growth stages. Exon capture data from the Wheat Genomics sLOLA (generated from EMS-mutagenised lines of Cadenza developed at RRes) was mapped to a custom set of candidate gene sequences from hormone signalling pathways. This identified a wide variety of functional mutations, including complete sets of loss-of-function mutations in all three homoeologues of the CPS, KS, KAO, GA3ox2 and GA20ox3 from the GA pathway. In addition, novel alleles in many genes relevant to other 20:20 Wheat projects and external collaborations have been identified. |
| Exploitation Route | Findings will be taken forward into future projects. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Environment |
| Description | Biotech regulations and wheat productivity' at an EU workshop "Wheat productivity in the EU: determinants and challenges for food security and for climate change |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Global Calculator |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Global Food Security Communications and Public Engagement Group |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Interview by 'Scientific Committee of the French High Council for Biotechnology' |
| Geographic Reach | Europe |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Research Perspective on innovation and new technologies in agriculture for the green economy |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | presentation to Business, Innovation and Skills, Whitehall |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | AAB Wheat Breeding Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Invited speaker at conference |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Cereals 2012 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Maximising Yield Potential in Wheat featured as the central Rothamsted theme at Cereals 2012 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | International Wheat Meeting, Sydney |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | invited speaker at international conference |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Invited Speaker, "Best of British Wheat" Sutton Bonnington |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | research seminars at Nottingham University, in conjunction with Agrii |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Invited Speaker; The GM debate- a balanced view. IPM: Pushing Back the Frontiers AAB conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | The GM debate- a balanced view. IPM: Pushing Back the Frontiers AAB conference - Huw Jones was invited to speak. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Member of International Advisory Board |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Significance of Sulfur in High-Input Cropping Systems Conference, Groningen |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | NABIM |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | invited speaker at NABIM research day |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | NFU-Farmer event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited speaker at New Biotechnologies, NFU Event-Farmer Scientist Dialogue on Crop Biotechnologies |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Omex 'Fertilising the Minds' workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | invited speaker |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Phenodays 2015 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | the field phenotyping team presented work on automated field phenotyping at this annual workshop |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Plant Phenotyping Network workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Invited speakers at the UK Plant Phenotyping Network, Rothamsted |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Plenary lecture at Danish Cereals Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | plenary lecture at major cereals meeting |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Presentation at Significance of Sulfur in High-Input Cropping Systems Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Presentation 'Linking genes to field performance: adventures in sulfur research' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Review of the strategies for the comprehensive food and feed safety and nutritional assessment of GM plants per se |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | review with ADAS, Rothamsted, EFSA |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Sulphyton meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | presentation at annual sulphur workshop, Athens |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | WGIN Stakeholder meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Invited Speaker at WGIN Stakeholder meeting, industry and research partners of WGIN network |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | host to visitors from Nanjing University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Rothamsted hosted a delegation of visitors from Nanjing Agricultural University. the were given a presentation on this project and toured field trials and laboratories |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | invited speaker |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Malcolm Hawkesford invited to speak to NFU Farmer-Scientist event, Stoneleigh UK |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | invited speaker to stakeholders |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Martin Parry gave a talk on food security a the Yield Enhancement Network, Stoneleigh UK |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | invition to review/discuss new National Research Canada new wheat programme |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Reviewed and discussed Canadian wheat programme |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | participation in Nitrogen Ideas Lab, USA |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | workshop on improvement of nitrogen uptake and use efficiency in wheat |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | public discussion event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Huw Jones was the invited speaker 'Who is responsible for our food waste? Evening public discussion event with Tim Benton, Charles Darwin House, Organised by the Society of Biology in partnership with the BBSRC and the Global Food Security Programme, 23 Sept 2013 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |