UK unveils crucial wheat genome sequence

Scientists in the UK have unveiled a first-draft blueprint of the genetic code for wheat.

The genome sequence is five times larger than that of humans, and will boost the development of new wheat strains which can withstand harsher conditions or disease and deliver higher yields.

Wheat is one of the world’s most important food crops and has an annual global harvest in excess of 550 million tonnes. The cereal is worth £2 billion to Britain’s agricultural industry every year.

Scientists and breeders will have access to 95 per cent of all wheat genes through the new genome data. Professor Keith Edwards, a researcher from the University of Bristol, said the complexity of the wheat genome provided a “huge challenge for scientists”.

He said: “The genome sequences are an important tool for researchers and for plant breeders and by making the data publicly available we are ensuring this publicly-funded research has the widest possible impact.”

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) funded the project which used Chinese Spring wheat as a representative “reference variety”.

The University of Liverpool’s Dr Anthony Hall, who was also a member of the team, said: “Wheat production is already under pressure with failures in the Russian harvest driving up world wheat prices. It is predicted that within the next 40 years world food production will need to be increased by 50 per cent.

“Developing new, low input, high-yielding varieties of wheat will be fundamental to meeting these goals. Using this new DNA data we will identify variation in gene networks involved in important agricultural traits such as disease resistance, drought tolerance and yield.”

Universities and Science Minister David Willetts said: “This is an outstanding world class contribution by the UK to the global effort to completely map the wheat genome.”

© Press Association 2010