Cereal Flashcards
Cereal
Flowering plants of the grass family cultivated for the food value of their grains
Legume
A family of plants, including many valuable food, forage and cover species, such as peas, beans and soybeans.
The green revolution: 1960-c.1990
Used classical plant breeding methods to dramatically increase yields of wheat and rice.
Characteristics of green revolution rice and wheat:
- Semi-dwarf
- Responsive to N fertiliser
To increase yield more and more fertiliser is applied
- Global wheat production risen over 2.5x since 1960
- Fertiliser use risen 4.3x since 1960
- Agricultural subsidies increased fertiliser use.
[Phillips & Norton, 2012]
Why select for reduced stem length?
If elongation of the stem is excessive plant may fall over = lodging
How to reduce stem length?
Treatments that reduce Gibberellin production produce ‘dwarf’ plants in some species whilst increased ethylene production may also reduce elongation
There is an interaction - shorter strawed varieties will not lodge when extra fertiliser added and so the increased yield can be harvested
Impact of breeding and agronomy on yield
Almost a global increase in grain output
Africa has not seen the same increase because of:
- Less investment in seeds that fit the climatic conditions.
- A lack of research into orphan crops
Factors contributing to the yield plateau- Yields are up, but growth is slowing
- Most direct ways of increasing yields have already been exploited.
- Recent agricultural research not focused on increased yields.
- Decline in cereal prices.
genetics selection
Selection of a new variety depends on the availability of genetic variation.
But (in conventional plant breeding) selection is based upon what you see (or measure) i.e. the phenotype.
Phenotype
genotype + environmental effects
Heritability
genetic variation/phenotypic variation
plant characteristics determined by
a single gene with two alleles
Wheat types
Common wheat or Bread wheat Durum Einkorn Emmer Spelt
Common wheat or Bread wheat
(T. aestivum) The most widely cultivated in the world
Durum
(T. durum) Pasta wheat . The second most widely cultivated wheat
Einkorn
(T. monococcum) Animal feed. Domesticated at the same time as emmer wheat, but never reached the same importance.
Emmer
(T. dicoccon) Cultivated in ancient times but no longer in widespread use.
Spelt
(T. spelta) Cultivated in limited quantities
How wild wheat breed modern bread wheat
Einkorn x wild wheat = emmer (selections to form Durum) x wild wheat = modern bread wheat
which wheat are of minor economic importance
Einkorn, emmer and spelt
5% of the wheat crop is
durum wheat
95% of the wheat crop is
common wheat
Wheat provides % of calories consumed
~20%
Spring‘ wheat
- Grows quickly
- Sown in the spring and is induced to flower by increasing day length
- Mature grains can be harvested within 20-25 weeks
- Allows more than 1 crop cycle per year