Abstract

Enhancing grain yield in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), a major staple food crop worldwide, is a primary goal of contemporary plant breeding programs. Grain yield is a complex quantitative character influenced by several interrelated traits, including plant height, tiller number, spike length, spikelets per spike, grains per spike, thousand-grain weight, and harvest index. A clear understanding of the genetic mechanisms controlling these traits such as heritability, gene action, and genetic advance is vital for effective selection and yield improvement. Recent developments in molecular breeding have significantly improved the accuracy of wheat improvement through the use of quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), genomic selection (GS), marker-assisted selection (MAS), and high-throughput phenotyping. However, wheat breeding still faces challenges, including strong environmental effects, limited genetic variability, trade-offs among yield components, and the complex regulation of gene networks. Future breeding efforts are expected to benefit from advanced tools such as CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing, the utilization of wild and exotic germplasm, and the integration of phenomics with genomics and machine-learning approaches. The combined application of conventional breeding methods and modern biotechnological strategies offers promising opportunities for developing high-yielding, stable and stress-tolerant wheat cultivars to meet the rising global food demand.

Statistics