Understanding adaptation to increase temperature robustness in wheat

Wheat is the UK's primary arable crop and provides a large proportion of the global calorie, protein and micro-nutrient requirements for both humans and livestock. Current predictions indicate that a 1C increase in global temperature would lead to a 4.1-6.3% decrease in wheat yield, yet yield needs to be increased by an estimated 60% by 2050 to meet the demands of a growing population. To address this challenge and improve the reliability of the wheat yield to changing climates we must understand how plants respond to temperature. I will utilise the naturally existing genetic diversity in wheat and combine this with recently curated mutant populations and the newly annotated wheat genome sequence to identify genes and biological processes involved in temperature adaptation in wheat.

Currently, we do not understand the genetic or molecular basis of how wheat responds to temperatures under standard growing conditions, ~6-24C. My recent research focuses on this temperature range and has challenged the assumption that the response to overwintering (vernalization) only occurs at < 6C. This was identified after I observed heat activation of the same genes that function in low temperature vernalization. This raises the possibility that many of the genes involved in the vernalization response can also be employed to regulate and increase crop robustness and yield at higher ambient temperatures.

I plan to build on this discovery by identifying other genes involved in regulating the key developmental transition from vegetative to reproductive growth under field conditions, and then explore how these genes function (Objective 1). To date the majority of research on temperature responses has been limited to constant controlled temperature conditions, yet my research indicates that the mechanisms by which plants respond to variable temperatures, such as those experienced by crop plants growing in the field, are actually quite different. I will also investigate the molecular function of genes which have been shown to be important in vernalization and identify the proteins they interact with and how they function under different temperature conditions (Objectives 2 and 3). Finally, I will investigate methods to accelerate vernalization under experimental conditions to increase research and wheat breeding capabilities with wheat that requires vernalization (Objective 4). This Fellowship is timely as it combines my recent advances in understanding the molecular basis of temperature responses in wheat with the newly (2018) released wheat genome sequence, curated mutant populations and high-throughput genome sequencing capabilities.

The Fellowship will be conducted at the University of Bristol as this will facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations as well as collaborations within the renowned School of Biological Sciences. In addition, Bristol has established field trial sites and world-leading sequencing resources, both of which are important for this research. The Fellowship will also support collaboration between the Fellow and industry to enable knowledge exchange from this research to influence the performance of wheat under diverse environmental conditions.

This research will advance our knowledge of temperature adaptation in wheat and enable the formation of an integrated understanding of how plants use temperature to regulate key developmental decisions. This will have societal benefit by providing information and resources that can be exploited in the wheat breeding industry, for example, to reduce the duration of breeding cycles and provide methods to increase the robustness of wheat yield to the erratic temperature patterns associated with climate change.

Wheat is an essential food crop, the yield of which is threatened by temperature changes that are occurring as part of climate change. For the UK economy wheat provides around a £2 bn annual turnover with every 1% increase in productivity leading to a £22 million increase in the UK economy. This FLF aims to stabilize or increase wheat yield through the identification of the genetic and molecular responses which underpin temperature responses. This research will have a series of direct and longer term impacts on a variety of stakeholders.
i) Wheat Breeders. The research will impact the UK and international wheat breeding community through providing new breeding targets, regarding temperature adaptation, and genetic resources including the molecular markers required to efficiently transfer these traits into elite germplasm. It will reduce the generation cycle for winter wheat breeding which will accelerated the production of new varieties. In addition, improved vernalization knowledge will allow more accurate predictions regarding latest drilling date. The impact, regarding markers and speed vernalization, will be realised during the FLF and continue beyond its completion.
ii) Farmers and agriculture. The improved varieties developed by the wheat breeders will benefit farmers through greater potential for yield stability and increased knowledge regarding drilling and flowering date. These factors will improve plant vigour and so enable fewer additives to be applied. This, in combination with more accurate drilling date, will enable a reduction in the number of times heavy machinery is on the field and so lead to improved soil quality. This potential impact will be long-term as the development of new varieties takes around 12 years.
iii) Consumers and society. The FLF aims to increase the reliability and yield of wheat which would have clear societal impact, primarily through price stability being relayed to the consumer. Society will also benefit from agricultural processes which improves the wider environment via reduced machinery on the fields as a consequence of accurate drilling date and more temperature robust wheat plants requiring less chemical assistance due to increased plant vigour. This impact is anticipated following completion of the FLF.
iv) Next generation scientists. The FLF will impact the next generation of scientists through supporting and inspiring a PDRA. In addition, the FLF will support interaction between the Fellow and PDRA with schools to promote and inform regarding careers available and the value of science. This would take place throughout the FLF.
v) Policy makers. The research will impact policy makers who are committed to negating the effects of climate change and in providing food security via changes in wheat breeding and agriculture which would occur from increased temperature robustness in wheat (e.g. BBSRC, DEFRA, FERA). The impacts are anticipated to influence the international community, through improved wheat cultivars, which could impact the UK policy makers relating to exports (e.g Foreign Office and the Department for International Trade). The work would inform policy makers regarding the role and impact of targeted genetic modifications in wheat and if these could benefit agriculture (e.g. DEFRA and parliamentary votes) and through supporting research and innovation in the UK economy (e.g. BBSRC, DEFRA, FERA, Innovate UK). These impacts will occur during and beyond the completion of the Fellowship.
vi) International collaboration. Collaborations will be formed with CIMMYT, which is a non-profit international wheat and maize pre- and breeding institute which specializes in working with areas of the world already facing food insecurity and European Institutes specialising in wheat breeding, INRA and IPK. These will allow bilateral exchange of research, scientific and technological advances and ensure the germplasm developed in this project reaches the most relevant environments.