Chinese researchers discover new gene boosting wheat yields
Chinese researchers have successfully identified a new gene that enhances salt tolerance in wheat, leading to yield increases between 5 to 9 percent in experimental varieties cultivated in saline-alkali soils.
TroibNews 
Chinese researchers have identified a new salt-tolerance gene in wheat, leading to yield enhancements of 5 to 9 percent in experimental varieties cultivated in saline-alkali soils.
The discoveries were published in the journal Nature Genetics.
Wang Meng, corresponding author of the study from the Institute of Soil Science (ISS), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), noted that China's main wheat-producing areas often suffer from significant soil salinization. The spring season, which is critical for wheat's jointing and grain filling stages, also corresponds with peak soil salinity, thus adversely affecting wheat growth and yields.
A team from the ISS, Northwest A&F University, and Qingdao Agricultural University examined over 500 wheat varieties and lines grown over years in saline-alkali fields, identifying TaSPL6-D, a transcriptional suppressor of essential salt-tolerance genes in wheat.
The researchers discovered that due to natural genetic variation, a variant of TaSPL6-D, named TaSPL6-D-In, exists in landraces, which fails to suppress vital salt-tolerance genes in wheat.
Employing a molecular-assisted breeding approach, the researchers integrated TaSPL6-D-In from a landrace into a leading wheat cultivar, successfully enhancing yields in saline-alkali soils.
Zhao Zhendong, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Cao Xiaofeng, an academician with CAS, remarked that this research offers crucial design targets for improving molecular breeding in salt-tolerant wheat and other crops.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
The discoveries were published in the journal Nature Genetics.
Wang Meng, corresponding author of the study from the Institute of Soil Science (ISS), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), noted that China's main wheat-producing areas often suffer from significant soil salinization. The spring season, which is critical for wheat's jointing and grain filling stages, also corresponds with peak soil salinity, thus adversely affecting wheat growth and yields.
A team from the ISS, Northwest A&F University, and Qingdao Agricultural University examined over 500 wheat varieties and lines grown over years in saline-alkali fields, identifying TaSPL6-D, a transcriptional suppressor of essential salt-tolerance genes in wheat.
The researchers discovered that due to natural genetic variation, a variant of TaSPL6-D, named TaSPL6-D-In, exists in landraces, which fails to suppress vital salt-tolerance genes in wheat.
Employing a molecular-assisted breeding approach, the researchers integrated TaSPL6-D-In from a landrace into a leading wheat cultivar, successfully enhancing yields in saline-alkali soils.
Zhao Zhendong, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Cao Xiaofeng, an academician with CAS, remarked that this research offers crucial design targets for improving molecular breeding in salt-tolerant wheat and other crops.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
