Wheat Production Research Articles

Physicochemical properties of grain of promising winter durum wheat varieties and lines in the south of the Rostov region

The most important thing in the production of durum wheat is to obtain high-quality grain. In this regard, in the Rostov Region, there has been studied the physical and chemical properties of this crop and identified several sources for high-quality grain breeding. The objects of study were 30 winter durum wheat varieties and lines of our own breeding, with the standard variety ‘Kristella’. Large grain (1000-grain weight over 40 g) was formed by 12 winter durum wheat samples. According to the GOST, 26 varieties and lines (770–809 g/l) belonged to the 1st class of grain. In 2021–2023, grain hardness varied from 69 % to 93 %. This trait was influenced by weather conditions during the years of study, grain with large hardness (100 %) was formed in the favorable 2022, in 2023 the grain was floury (51 %). The protein percentage in grain varied over the years from 13.70% in 2022 to 14.91 % in 2021. The mean gluten content of winter durum wheat samples was consistently high over the years and ranged from 28.0 % (2022) to 30.1 % (2021). The mean carotenoid content over the years varied significantly from 472 μg/% (2023) to 718 μg/% (2021). There were significant fluctuations among the samples. Due to the diversity of weather conditions during the years of study, there have been identified 6 winter durum wheat varieties and lines ‘Diona’, ‘Dinas’, ‘Pridonie’, ‘691/20’, ‘390/20’, ‘1377/20’ according to the complex of physical and chemical properties.

Cytogenetic and molecular identification of novel wheat-Elymus sibiricus addition lines with resistance to leaf rust and the presence of leaf pubescence trait.

Emerging new races of leaf rust (Puccinia triticina Eriks) are threatening global wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production. Identifying additional resistance genes from all available gene pools is crucial to expanding wheat resistance to these virulent leaf rust races. Siberian wild rye (Elymus sibiricus L.) possesses numerous beneficial traits that can be valuable in wheat improvement. Three new wheat-E. sibiricus addition lines, O27-2 (BC8), O27-3 (BC12) and O193-3 (BC12), were developed through a backcrossing scheme in this study, using leaf rust field evaluations, molecular marker assays and cytogenetic analysis. These three lines were derived from progeny of the bread wheat cultivar 'Obriy' (2n = 6x = 42, AABBDD) and partial octoploid amphiploid wheat-E. sibiricus (2n = 8x = 56, AABBDDStSt). The lines (O27-2, O27-3 and O193-3) demonstrated strong specific leaf pubescence (hairiness) and resistance at the adult stage to a local population of leaf rust races. The response to leaf rust in these three lines significantly differed from that of the Lr24 gene, providing evidence for a distinct resistance mechanism associated with the 3St chromosome. This study is the first to report the transfer of an E. sibiricus chromosome into wheat that confers leaf rust resistance. Molecular marker analysis and genomic in situ hybridization confirmed that lines O27-2, O27-3 and O193-3 each possess one pair of E. sibiricus 3St chromosomes. The resistance gene was determined to be on the additional alien chromosome in these lines. Molecular markers (Xwmc221, Lr29F18, Sr24/Lr24) confirmed that the lines O27-2, O27-3, and O193-3 each contain a pair of E. sibiricus 3St chromosomes carrying leaf rust resistance genes. These findings demonstrate that the E. sibiricus 3St chromosome carries the leaf rust resistance gene and that the O27-2, O27-3, and O193-3 lines can serve as novel germplasm sources for introducing this resistance into wheat breeding programs. This study contributes to broadening the genetic diversity of resistance genes available for combating leaf rust in wheat.

Annual winter wheat mapping dataset in China from 2001 to 2020

Winter wheat is a major staple food grown worldwide. China contributes about 19% of the winter wheat production in the world. Therefore, quickly and accurately acquiring winter wheat distribution in China over long time periods is critical to achieve grain safety and understand the spatiotemporal patterns of winter wheat. However, there is a lack of widely available, high spatial resolution, long-term, and large-scale remotely sensed maps on winter wheat cultivation in China. In this study, we utilized a phenology-based algorithm to identify winter wheat location. The algorithm integrated three key growing features of winter wheat into one variable to calculate the planting probability of winter wheat. Here, we produced a long-term winter wheat map dataset at 30-m resolution for China from 2001 to 2020 using the fusion dataset. The resultant maps achieved high accuracy based on field survey samples, with user’s, producer’s, and overall accuracies of 91.17%, 90.92%, and 91.6%, respectively. Furthermore, the mapped winter wheat area aggregated to municipal- and county-levels exhibited good correlations with agricultural statistical data.

Effect of FYM and Inorganic Fertilizers on Growth, Yield of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and Soil Properties of Red Alfisol

The soil multi-nutrient deficiency is not only a problem for soil quality, but also for crop productivity. In problematic soils, in particular acid soils, where low nutrient availability is a concern for general soil use, organic fertilizers are important. The importance of FYM is not limited to their role as accessibility, cost-effectiveness, soil nutrient reservoirs, moisture and ameliorating soil properties that determine soil fertility and productivity status. A pot experiment was conducted on wheat crop at Banaras Hindu University, India, to investigate the effect of FYM and inorganic fertilizers on growth, yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and soil properties of red Alfisol. The results revealed that maximum number of tiller pot-1 (17.0), plant height (78.0 cm), grain yield (27.4 g pot-1), straw yield (9.98 g pot-1), biological yield (67.5 g pot-1), harvest index (40.6%), were recorded in 1.5RF+FYM1applied pots. The correlation study revealed a significant positive correlation of soil organic carbon with biological yield, and soil available N, P and K. The integration of FYM along with 1.5 times RF significantly enhanced wheat productivity, quality, and soil nutrient availability, indicating the potential of this integrated approach for restoring soil fertility in degraded soils to sustainable crop production in red Alfisol.

Rice residue management alternatives and nitrogen optimization: impact on wheat productivity, microbial dynamics, and enzymatic activities

In response to the degraded soil health and lack of improvement in the yield of rice–wheat cropping systems in South Asia’s Indo-Gangetic Plains, an experiment was formulated in a split-plot design. Four rice residue management practices were the primary factor, alongside two nitrogen levels (150 and 180 kg/ha) and two nitrogen split levels (two and three splits) as sub-treatments. The findings revealed a notable increase in soil organic carbon (SOC), microbial count, and enzymatic activity in plots subjected to conservation tillage and residue treatment compared to those in plots subjected to partial residue (anchored stubbles) and conventional methods (residue incorporated with chopping). The collective analysis demonstrated a significant influence of rice residue management practices and nitrogen application levels on wheat yield attributes and productivity. Specifically, zero tillage with full residue (unchopped) in wheat exhibited a 5.23% increase in grain yield compared to conventional tillage with full residue (chopped), concurrently boosting the soil microbial count by 19.80–25%, the diazotrophic count by 29.43–31.6%, and the actinomycete count by 20.15–32.99% compared with conventional tillage. Moreover, applying nitrogen in three splits (at sowing, before the 1st irrigation, and after the 1st irrigation) led to a 6.25% increase in grain yield than that in two splits (at sowing and after the 1st irrigation), significantly impacting wheat productivity in the soil. Furthermore, the zero tillage-happy seeder with full residue elevated dehydrogenase activity from 77.94 to 88.32 μg TPF/g soil/24 h during the study year, surpassing that in the conventional plot. This increase in enzymatic activity was paralleled by a robust positive correlation between the microbial population and enzymatic activity across various residue retention practices. In conclusion, the results underscore the efficacy of crop residue retention following conservation tillage, in tandem with nitrogen optimization and scheduling, in enhancing wheat yield within the rice–wheat cropping system.

Climate data integration into wheat performance evaluation reveals large inter-varietal responses

Abstract There is an urgent need to adapt crop breeding strategies to boost resilience in the face of a growing food demand and a changing climate. Achieving this requires an understanding of how weather and climate variability impacts crop growth and development. Using the United Kingdom (UK) as an example, we evaluate changes in the UK agroclimate and analyse how these have influenced domestic wheat production. Here we quantify spatial and temporal variability and changes in weather and climate across growing seasons over the last four decades (1981-2020). Drawing on variety trial data, we then use statistical modelling to explore the interaction between genotype and agroclimate variation. 
We show that changes in the UK agroclimate present both risks, and opportunities for wheat growers, depending on location. From 1981-2020, in Wales, the West Midlands, large parts of the North West, and Northern Ireland, there was an overall increase in frost risk in early spring of 0.15 additional frost days per year, whilst in the East early frost risk decreased by up to 0.29 days per year. Meanwhile, over the period 1987-2020, surface incoming shortwave radiation during grainfill increased in the East by up to 13% but decreased in Western areas by up to 15%. We show significant inter-varietal differences in yield responses to growing degree days, heavy rainfall and the occurrence of late frost. This highlights the importance of evaluating variety-climate interactions in variety trial analyses, and in climate-optimised selection of crops and varieties by growers. This work provides guidance for future research on how climate change is affecting the UK agroclimate and resulting impacts on winter cereal production.

Isolation and characterization of gamma rays induced mutants for improved agro-morphological performance and harder grain texture in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Purpose Kernel texture plays a principal role in determining technological flour properties and end-use quality of wheat products. Hence, a multi-year mutation induction programme was conducted to isolate advanced wheat mutant lines with agro-morphologically superior performance, higher disease resistance and harder grain texture. Materials and methods Radiation mutagenesis was employed in soft textured wheat variety HPW 89 using gamma rays dose of 250, 300 and 350 Gy (Co60: BARC, Mumbai) and evaluated across M1–5 generations. Promising superior mutants selected were evaluated during M4 and M5 generation for induced variability and trait association for agro-morphological and quality traits. The screened mutants were also determined for induced changes at genetic level using gene specific markers for puroindoline genes. Results A total of 293 agro-morphologically superior mutants isolated showed significant genetic variation in the M4 generation. Single kernel characterization system categorized 267 mutants (8.79–50.06) with higher grain hardness than the HPW 89 variety (7.39). Among these, 108 mutants were selected for agro-morphological and molecular characterization. Significant variations were found in these mutants in either pina and pinb or both puroindoline genes. Clustering among these mutants led to the formation of five clusters and a total of eleven mutants were found with better set of agro-morphological, disease resistance and quality traits. Conclusion These mutants can serve as important genetic resource for developing harder texture bread wheat varieties in the future grain quality improvement programmes. These mutants will also bridge the need of bakers and millers’ requirement of varieties with specific texture and quality.

Integrated Fertilizers for Sustainable Wheat Production to Improve Food Security—A Comprehensive Review

ABSTRACTWheat is a key cereal crop that is substantial to global food security. Fertilizers are crucial in wheat production and significantly impact the yield. This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of inorganic, organic, and integrated fertilizers in terms of sustainable wheat production and economic and environmental benefits. For this review, we thoroughly examined 133 previous research findings. The results indicate that inorganic fertilizers play a vital role in improving wheat yield. However, continuous use of inorganic fertilizers pollutes the environment, affects beneficial microorganisms in the soil, and increases the emissions of greenhouse gases, consequently decreasing crop yield. Organic fertilizers enhance soil quality, which is critical for crop growth and development. However, a high concentration of methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2) are emitted from organic fertilizers, but the CO2 emission rate is less than the sequestration rate. Integrated fertilizers trade off the drawbacks of both inorganic and organic fertilizers. Integrated fertilizers decrease nitrous oxide (N2O) and ammonia (NH3) emissions and carbon loss by 11%–24%, 13%–27%, and 18%, respectively, compared to the sole use of fertilizers. From the review analysis, the highest grain yield (4855 kg ha−1) and net benefit ($2836.66) are achieved by using a combination of 75% organic and 25% inorganic fertilizers at a rate of 120 kg N ha−1. Therefore, this combination is recommended for the users. Furthermore, a site‐specific approach research is needed on integrated fertilizers that simultaneously focus on economic and environmental profits. Also, there must be a policy that supports the farmers in teaching, training, and subsidizing them to adopt integrated fertilizers for sustainable wheat production and improving food security.

Energy budget and economic analysis of modern and traditional wheat production systems in Kurdistan province of Iran

This study was conducted to analyze input-output energies and economic analysis of modern and traditional wheat production systems of Kurdistan province, Iran. Data were collected from 100 dryland and 100 irrigated wheat fields. The fields were selected randomly, and inquiries conducted in a face-to-face interview from May up to August next year. The results showed that total energy inputs, energy use efficiency, and specific energy were 49,956 MJ ha-1, 2.4, and 4.9 MJ kg-1 in modern irrigated wheat system, respectively, 19,064 MJ ha-1, 3.4, and 3.4 MJ kg-1 in traditional irrigated wheat system, 16,598 MJ ha-1, 1.7, and 6.7 MJ kg-1 in modern dryland wheat system, and 14,471 MJ ha-1, 1.99 and 5.75 MJ kg-1 in traditional dryland wheat system, respectively. The economic analysis revealed that the total cost of production and net return were 546.5 and 1,448.6 USD ha-1 in modern irrigated wheat, 206.4 and 844.7 USD ha-1 in traditional irrigated wheat, 230.5 and 237.6 USD ha-1 in modern dryland wheat and 185.2 and 266.1 USD ha-1 in traditional dryland wheat systems, respectively. The results of this study showed that the modern wheat production system uses more energy compared to that by the traditional wheat production system. Thus, the wheat producers are advised to adopt modern wheat production systems with some caution.

Development of an HPPD-Inhibitor Resistant Wheat and Multiomics Integrative Analysis of Herbicide Toxicity and OsHIS1 Detoxification in Wheat.

Weed infestation in agricultural fields significantly diminishes crop yields. Herbicides are widely used as a primary method of weed control. Developing herbicide-resistant crops through the expression of resistant genes represents a sustainable approach. This study generated wheat germplasms highly resistant to 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD)-inhibiting herbicides by transforming the rice HPPD INHIBITOR SENSITIVE 1 (OsHIS1) gene into Xinong 511, conferring resistance to mesotrione at levels up to nine times the typical field application rate (1350 g ai ha-1). Agronomic trait evaluations under greenhouse and field conditions showed no additional effects on wheat. Herbicide susceptibility assays confirmed the specific resistance to different HPPD inhibitors. Transcriptome and metabolome analyses revealed regulation of flavonoid and photosynthesis-antenna protein pathways in the herbicide functional. Collectively, OsHIS1 could be applied in the production of herbicide-resistant wheat.

Insight into the conformational changes and allergenic reactivity of coarse wheat bran induced by ozone treatment.

Whole grain food has gradually come into view because of its high nutritional value, but the incidence of wheat allergies has been increasing year by year. Ozone is a new non-thermal desensitization technology in food processing, and its effect on coarse wheat bran protein has received little study. We investigated the effects of different ozone airflow rates and treatment times on wheat bran allergenic property and protein structure. The ozone treatment time of 30 min at an airflow rate of 5 L min-1 reduced the coarse wheat bran allergenic property by 61.14%; subunits of 33, 46, 48 and 68 kDa were significantly less allergenic via western blotting; and the lowest releasing rate of β-hexosaminidase was 25.32% in the cell model of rat basophilic leukaemia 2H3. According to secondary structure and chemical interaction determination, the protein molecules were reorganized and aggregated by disulfide bonds and hydrophobic contacts following ozone exposure. Ozone treatment has a beneficial potential in reducing the allergenic property of coarse wheat bran and improving the safety of whole wheat products. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Review on the Effect of Seed Rate and Improved Varieties on Grain Yield of Bread Wheat (Tritium Aestivum L.) in Ethiopia

Wheat is one of the strategic crops in Ethiopia, because of its role for food security, import Substitution and supply of raw material for agro-processing industry. Wheat Produced by 4.6 million smallholder farmers on 1.8 million hectares of land with an estimated annual production of 5.0 million tons at an average productivity of 2.9 t/ha which has been consistently increasing for the last 25 years, but much lower than the world average 3.3 t/ha. The lowest yield is attributed to many factors, such as the wheat variety, seed rate, seed source, unavailability of quality seed, use of poor quality seeds and inappropriate seed size are some of the factors. Seed rate are the most important management factor affected the agronomic characteristics of wheat. Seeding rate can impact on wheat tillering, grain yield and protein quality. Hence, achieving higher agronomic performance and better end-use quality requires optimizing and periodically reviewing management practices such as seeding rates. However, in varieties that produce fewer tillers, higher seeding rates compensated for reduced tiller. In a dense wheat population, grain yield decreased due to competition between plants that induced self-regulation. So optimum seed rate is recommended depending on the growth habit of the varieties and soil fertility level for increasing wheat production and productivity.

Optimizing residue return with soil moisture and nutrient stoichiometry reduced greenhouse gas fluxes in Alfisols

Optimum soil moisture and high crop residue return (RR) can increase the active pool of soil organic carbon and nitrogen, thus modulating the magnitude of greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes. To determine the effect of soil moisture on the threshold level of RR for the wheat production system, we analyzed the relationship between GHG fluxes and RR at four levels, namely 0, 5, 10, and 15 Mg ha−1 (R0, R5, R10, and R15) under two soil moisture content (80% FC and 100% FC) and three levels of nutrient management (NS0: no nutrient; NS1, NS2= 3x NS1). Nutrient input (N and P) in NS1 balanced the residue C/nutrient stoichiometry to achieve 30% stabilization of the residue C input in RR (R5). All RR treatments (cf. R0) were found to significantly reduce N2O emission in moderate soil moisture content (80% FC) by 22–56% across nutrient management due to enhanced soil C mineralization, microbial biomass carbon, and N immobilization. However, averaged across nutrient management, a linear increase in N2O emission was observed with increasing RR under 100% FC soil moisture. A significant decrease in CH4 emission by ca. 46% in most RR treatments was observed in 100% FC compared with the R0. The N2O emission was negatively correlated (p = <0.001) with nutrient stoichiometry. Partial least square (PLS) regression indicated that GHG emissions were more responsive (values > 0.8) to management variables (RR rate, nitrogen (N) input rate, soil moisture, and nutrient stoichiometry of C: N) and post-incubation soil properties (SMBC and NO3-N) in Alfisols. This study demonstrated that the mechanisms responsible for RR effects on soil N2O, CH4 fluxes, and carbon mineralization depend on soil moisture and nutrient management, shifting the nutrient stoichiometry of residue C: N: P.

Impact of the Russian invasion on wheat biomass in Ukraine

Abstract Ukraine was the seventh-biggest worldwide producer of wheat in 2021 before the Russian invasion. The war caused a disruption of the global wheat market but the impact on the different levels of the production chain remains unclear. Here we leverage high resolution satellite imagery and crop modeling to analyze specifically the impact of the war on the evolution of the dry aboveground biomass in wheat fields. We compare the Kherson region, a battlefield occupied by the Russian army in 2022 with the Poltava region which was not invaded. We also compare the wheat biomass in both regions in 2022 with the two previous years before the war. We find that the wheat biomass sharply declined in the Kherson region in 2022 only. We interpret this result as a consequence of the abandonment of invaded land by farmers. The lack of agricultural management, in particular the lack of fertilization and irrigation could explain the reduced crop growth in summer, thereby contributing to shortages in the wheat production chain.

Impact of different priming and sowing techniques in combination with different seed rates on wheat growth and yield

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple crop of immense economic importance, especially in the agronomic context of Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. Understanding the effects of various agronomic practices, such as priming techniques, sowing methods, and seed rates, on wheat yield and growth is crucial for optimizing production and ensuring regional food security. To study the effects of priming and sowing techniques in combination with seed rates on short (Israr Shaheed) and long (Gomal) duration, three experiments were conducted at the agronomic research site of Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, wheat varieties. In the first experiment, various priming techniques were used. Among different techniques used Farmyard manure priming produced the tallest plants at 111.3 and 125.3 cm, the maximum number of tillers (335.7 and 345.0 m-2), longest spikes (8.6 and 7.6 cm), maximum spikelets (27.2 and 31.0 spike-1), maximum number of grains (45.5 and 48.7 spike-1), maximum grain yield (4.4 and 4.6 t ha-1) and maximum harvest index (38.7 and 41.5%) respectively for Israr Shaheed and Gomal. Conversely, compost manure produced heavier grains than other interactions (49.2 and 42.3 g) while sodium chloride showed the maximum biological yield (12.4 and 11.8 t ha-1) for Israr Shaheed and Gomal correspondingly. In 2nd experiment, different sowing methods were tested on two wheat varieties Israr Shaheed and Gomal. Dry sowing followed by flooding produced tallest plants measuring (105.5 and 101.7 cm), maximum number of tillers (398.2 and 406.7 m-2), longest spikes (8.3 and 7.2 cm), maximum spikelets (29.8 and 35.5 spike-1), maximum number of grains (54.3 and 51.6 spike-1) and maximum grain yield (4.3 and 4.6 t ha-1) respectively for Israr Shaheed and Gomal. Israr Shaheed and Gomal showed maximum 1000-grain weights (45.3 and 45.0 g) in sprouted seeding in flooded fields respectively. The highest biological yield (13.6 t ha-1) was in dry seed in the flooded field while the maximum harvest index (33.5 and 33.9%) was recorded in soaked seed followed by flooding for Israr Shaheed and Gomal. In the last experiment, different seed rates were studied. The results showed that plants grown with seed rate 150 kg ha-1 showed the tallest plants at 111.0 and 111.7 cm, maximum number of tillers (411.6 and 408.2 m-2), longest spikes (7.8 and 7.7 cm), maximum spikelets (34.3 and 34.3 spike-1), maximum number of grains (50.8 and 47.2 spike-1), maximum grain yield (4.6 and 4.5 t ha-1) and maximum harvest index (38.4 and 36.7%) respectively for Israr Shaheed and Gomal. The maximum number of 1000-grains weight (g) was found on 200 and 250 kg ha-1 for Israr Shaheed and Goma-8, respectively giving 45.2 g while biological yield was the highest in 175 kg ha-1 respectively. Conclusively, the results indicated that yield and yield attributes in wheat were enhanced up to 150 kg ha-1 seed rate when interacted with farmyard manure priming along with dry sowing of seed followed by flooding. Future research should explore the integration of advanced irrigation techniques and nutrient management practices to further enhance wheat productivity in the Dera Ismail Khan region.

Adoption determinants of wheat production technology packages by smallholder farmers in Horo Guduru Wollega zone, Ethiopia

Agricultural technology adoption intensely improve agricultural production and it is a promising source for smallholder farmers’ means of achieving sustained well-being in Ethiopia. However, adoption of multiple wheat production technologies is not well practiced and its overall adoption level is low in the country. Hence, this study is aimed at identifying factors associated with farmers’ adoption of wheat production technology packages in the Horo Guduru Wollega zone, Ethiopia. The analysis of the study was based on a survey data collected from a randomly selected 373 sample households and a two-limit Tobit model was used to assess determinants of wheat production technology packages of farm households. The adoption index result of the descriptive model revealed that the adoption intensity of wheat producers’ technology package is 57.52%, while the highest adoption was in the highland agro-ecology (59.96%), followed by the midland agro-ecology (58.77%), and the lowest was in the lowland agro-ecology (50.21%). Results show that education level of household head, access to credit, access and purchase of improved seed, livestock owned, farmer’s perception wheat yield, farm training received, and annual farm income are positively and significantly associated with the adoption intensity of wheat technology packages while distance from nearest market had negative and significant effect. The results of the study forward that agricultural policymakers, development organizations, and qualified agricultural practitioners should engage in the improvement of wheat production technology adoption rate of which need upgrading farmers’ literacy level, strengthening farm-oriented institutions for improving accessibility of agricultural inputs, financial services, training and advisory services for farmers on the application of technology adoption in combinations. Minimizing input market barriers, subsidizing farmers through credit provision, enhancing farmers’ skills and valuable insight about the wheat technology packages could improve their adoption rate of wheat production technology packages.

Effects of Different Wheat Varieties on Soil Bacterial and Fungal Communities

ABSTRACTThe diversity and stability of soil microbial communities are indispensable components for maintaining the functions and services of agricultural ecosystems and play crucial roles in wheat production. However, the effects of different wheat varieties on soil microbial diversity, network complexity, stability, and assembly mechanisms remain largely unexplored. To bridge this research gap, we conducted field experiments in Chuzhou, China, to study the yield and soil microbial community composition of six different wheat varieties. The soil bacterial and fungal communities were investigated using high‐throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA and ITS gene regions. Our findings indicated that, compared to common wheat, high‐yielding and disease‐resistant (HD) wheat increased both bacterial and fungal α‐diversity by regulating soil nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, significantly affecting community structure (Adonis, p < 0.001). HD wheat significantly altered the co‐occurrence network patterns of soil microbial communities. Network analyses revealed that HD wheat increased the complexity of fungal networks while exhibiting the opposite trend for bacterial networks. However, both the bacterial and fungal networks demonstrated increased stability. Furthermore, HD wheat may increase microbial migration rates, influencing assembly processes by promoting stochastic processes in bacterial and fungal communities. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the ecological functions and driving factors of soil microbes, offering information for the development of ecological management strategies to achieve sustainable wheat cultivation and improve soil quality. Furthermore, HD wheat significantly modified the co‐occurrence network patterns of the soil microbial communities. Network analysis revealed increased fungal network complexity in HD wheat, whereas bacterial networks showed the opposite trend. However, both the bacterial and fungal networks exhibited enhanced stability. Additionally, HD wheat likely increased microbial migration rates, influencing assembly processes by promoting stochastic processes in both bacterial and fungal communities. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the ecological functions and driving factors of soil microbes, providing information for the development of ecological management strategies to achieve sustainable wheat cultivation and improve soil quality.

Growth regulation in bread wheat via novel bioinoculant formulation

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most significant crops and the backbone of food security worldwide. However, low wheat production remains a substantial concern in global agricultural systems. It can be attributed to several factors, including adverse climatic conditions, plant disease and poor soil quality. Recent efforts have explored bioinoculant applications as a promising approach to enhance wheat yield, trying to mitigate constraints essential for future wheat production and global food security. This study tested talc powder, wheat biochar, sugarcane bagasse biochar, and farmyard manure as carriers with two endophytic bacterial strains, Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN and Bacillus spp. MN54 was applied to three wheat varieties (Ujala-16, Zincol-16, and Fathejang-16). The data was recorded at the seedling and maturity growth stages of plants. A pot experiment revealed significant improvements in plant growth following bioinoculant application compared to controls. Notably, the combination of sugarcane bagasse biochar with Bacillus sp. MN54 exhibited the most pronounced effects, promoting internodal length, spike length, tiller number per plant, grain yield per plant, and spikelets per spike. Additionally, talc powder with Bacillus sp. MN54 increased peduncle length, tiller number per plant, and spike length in Fathejang-16. These findings offer valuable insights into optimizing bioinoculant formulations for improved agricultural practices, adapting to climate change, and contributing to ensuring global food security.

A Novel Point Mutation M460I in Histidine Kinase FgOs1 Confers High Resistance to Fludioxonil in Fusarium graminearum.

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum, severely impacts global wheat production, reducing both the yield and quality. In China, fludioxonil, a phenylpyrrole fungicide, is used for managing FHB. This study assessed fludioxonil activity against 120 F. graminearum strains collected from Hubei, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu in 2024, revealing an average EC50 value of 0.0273 ± 0.0062 μg/mL. We obtained two resistant mutants through chemical taming and discovered a novel point mutation of FgOs1-M460I. Site-directed mutagenesis confirmed that the FgOs1-M460I mutation greatly reduced fludioxonil sensitivity, with an EC50 value greater than 100 μg/mL. These mutants also displayed reduced sexual and asexual reproduction and lower virulence and accumulated less glycerol under fludioxonil and osmotic stress compared to sensitive strain. The resistant mutants showed no cross-resistance with carbendazim, tebuconazole, phenamacril, pyraclostrobin, or pydiflumetofen. Thus, we conclude that the FgOs1-M460I substitution regulates fludioxonil resistance and plays a role in asexual reproduction, sexual reproduction, and pathogenicity.

Effect of Nano-fertilizers in Wheat Crop Nutrition: A Review

The use of nano - fertilizers in wheat cultivation represents a promising approach to overcoming some of the inefficiencies and environmental challenges associated with conventional fertilizer practices. Traditional fertilizers often suffer from low nutrient use efficiency, leading to excessive application, nutrient runoff, and environmental harm. Nano fertilizers, due to their nano-scale size and enhanced reactivity, improve nutrient uptake by plants, leading to better growth, higher yields, and reduced nutrient wastage. Studies show that Nano formulations of both macronutrients (such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) and micronutrients (like zinc and iron) can significantly enhance wheat productivity. Nano fertilizers not only increase crop yield but also reduce the overall cost of fertilizer application by minimizing nutrient loss and improving absorption by the plants.