Research progress on spike development of wheat

Abstract

Enhancing yield has been the primary objective of crop domestication and breeding. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) stands as one of the world's most vital food crops, serving as a major source of dietary energy and protein for approximately 35-40 % of the global population. As the largest producer and consumer of wheat worldwide, China places great emphasis on the development of high-yielding wheat varieties and the continuous improvement of wheat production as key strategies to ensure food security. As a critical staple crop, wheat yield is determined by three main components: spike number per unit area, grain number per spike, and thousand-grain weight. Among these, grain number per spike exhibits relatively high heritability. Therefore, increasing the grain number per spike by boosting the number of spikelets per spike represents a significant approach to improving wheat yield. Spike architecture is closely associated with grain yield in wheat. Key determinants of yield include grain number per spike, grain weight, and spike density per unit area. Given that spike morphology influences both grain weight and grain number per spike, it is of considerable importance to identify and characterize genes that regulate spike-related traits. In recent years, substantial progress has been made in the study of genes controlling wheat spike traits, yet a systematic review of these findings remains lacking. This paper summarizes research advances from the past five years on genes involved in the regulation of wheat spike traits, aiming to provide a useful reference for researchers in this field. Additionally, it offers perspectives on future studies of spike development and the potential for enhancing crop yield.

Keywords: Grain number per spike; Grain weight; Inflorescence; Spike; Wheat; Yield.