BACKGROUND:Triticum sphaerococcum, an ancient hexaploid wheat species, is renowned for its stress resilience and superior nutritional quality. A panel of 116 T. sphaerococcum accessions (the largest known collection at a single site globally), with six bread wheat released varieties, was evaluated for its potential for genetic quality improvement. Field experiments were conducted under standard, heat and moisture-deficit conditions across two cropping seasons for ten grain end-use quality and nutritional traits. RESULTS:Genotypes showed highly significant differences (P ≤ 0.001) for measured traits, with high broad-sense heritability resulting from substantial genotypic variance contributions. Triticum sphaerococcum consistently outperformed T. aestivum across environments, with moisture-deficit stress proving more detrimental to quality parameters than heat stress, while micronutrient content increased under stressed conditions. Trait correlations revealed that the gluten index (GI) correlated negatively with the grain hardness index (GHI), wet gluten (WG), and water-binding capacity (WB), while positively correlating with dry gluten (DG) and protein content (PRO), whereas grain iron (GFE), zinc (GZN), and protein showed consistent positive interrelationships. Two superior accessions, PAUTS10 (WG 35.13%, DG 13.71%, PRO 16.42%, GZN 50.89 ppm) and Sonamoti (WG 33.33%, DG 12.92%, PRO 16.27%, GZN 56.03 ppm), were identified, surpassing the best check variety HD3226 for quality and nutritional parameters. Multi-locus genome-wide association studies identified 30 stable quantitative trait nucleotides across environments, with candidate gene analysis revealing genes involved in transcription regulation, biosynthetic processes, metal ion homeostasis, and transport. CONCLUSIONS:Triticum sphaerococcum demonstrated superior grain quality and micronutrient potential compared with modern wheat, highlighting its value as a genetic resource for biofortification. The identification of elite accessions and stable quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) provides useful targets for breeding programs aimed at improving protein and micronutrient content. Integrating ancient germplasm with modern genomic tools can accelerate the development of nutritionally enhanced wheat varieties. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Wheat, a major staple food for over half the global population, has its grain production influenced by numerous traits. Xylem vessel traits within the root system are crucial for water transport, resource uptake, and overall plant health. Despite their importance, these traits are underexplored. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of xylem vessel traits and their environmental interactions in bread wheat. Understanding them is vital for developing wheat crops that withstand unfavourable climatic conditions and ensure sustainable yields. This study employs GGE biplot analysis to assess the adaptability and stability of wheat genotypes regarding axial hydraulic conductance and yield across three environments. This study aims to: (i) identify the components of variance contributing to trait expression, (ii) evaluate the adaptability and stability of wheat genotypes using GGE biplots, (iii) identify genotypes responsive to specific environments, and (iv) determine genotypes with high mean performance and stability across all environments. Key findings reveal significant genetic variation, providing a foundation for targeted breeding. However, G×E variance significantly impacts axial hydraulic conductance and yield, suggesting indirect selection through component traits may be beneficial. Through GGE analysis G68, G124, and G97 showed high stability for axial hydraulic conductance, whereas G148 and G18 excelled in yield. Trait-wise plasticity classification revealed genotypes G135, G106, and G104 as highly plastic across CMXA, Kh, and yield, indicating adaptive flexibility for specific environments. In contrast, genotypes G10, G49, and G27 exhibited minimal trait fluctuation, suggesting broad environmental resilience. The identified genotypes demonstrated high mean performance and stability for root axial hydraulic conductance and yield, offering potential as parental lines for breeding wheat resilient to abiotic stresses such as drought and heat. The integration of xylem vessel traits with yield performance supports the development of cultivars that maintain productivity under water-limited and high-temperature conditions. GGE biplot analysis emphasized the value of indirect selection through component traits, while plasticity insights enabled identification of genotypes suited for both specific and broad adaptation. Coupled with environmental profiling, including soil moisture availability and temperature variability, these insights enable location-specific selection, supporting the development of resource-efficient wheat cultivars tailored to stress-prone environments.

Indian dwarf wheat (Triticum sphaerococcum Percival) is a valuable genetic resource for improving nutritional and functional quality in wheat. We evaluated 116 accessions and seven bread wheat checks across four environments for starch composition, glycemic index (GI), and key nutritional traits including crude protein, zinc, and iron. Significant genotypic variation was observed for all traits, with high heritability for GI, amylopectin, and micronutrient content, indicating strong genetic control, while moderate genotype & times; environment interactions reflected environmental influence on starch biosynthesis and digestibility. Total starch (50-85%), amylose (16-35%), and amylopectin (27-66%) were higher in T. sphaerococcum than in modern wheat. Low-GI accessions, including TS31 (43.3), TS70 (44.2), TS73 (46.5), and TS74 (44.9), exhibited stable performance across environments, while elite genotypes such as TS14, TS31, TS57, TS49, and TS65 combined low GI with high zinc (35-71 ppm), iron (33-63 ppm), and protein (11-21%), highlighting their potential for functional wheat breeding. Correlation analyses revealed strong associations among starch components and between micronutrients and crude protein, whereas GI was influenced by amylose content and starch-protein interactions. These results demonstrate that T. sphaerococcum harbors germplasm with both health-promoting and biofortification traits, offering a mechanistic framework for targeted breeding strategies to develop wheat cultivars with reduced glycemic response and enhanced micronutrient density.

While several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have examined rust resistance in diverse Indian wheat germplasm, none have specifically focused on indigenously bred advanced breeding lines. This study investigates the genetic basis of adult plant resistance to leaf rust and stripe rust in such lines, using a high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array and the Bayesian-information and Linkage-disequilibrium Iteratively Nested Keyway (BLINK) multi-locus GWAS model, complemented with haplotype-based linkage disequilibrium analysis. Multi-environment phenotyping was conducted across three seasons to capture the effects of environmental variation. The analysis identified 17 and 7 significant SNP-trait associations (Marker trait associations, MTAs) for leaf rust and stripe rust, respectively, including both known and novel loci located on chromosomes 3B, 5B, 7B, and 6 A. These MTAs were found in proximity to well-characterized rust resistance genes such as Lr12/Lr31, Yr27/Lr13, Lr18, Lr52/Yr47, and Yr66, confirming previous reports from gene postulation and marker-based studies. LD-block analysis identified the novel quantitative trait loci (QTLs) qLr.iari.3BL.1, qLr.iari.5BL.2, qLr.iari.7BL.3, and qSr.iari.6AL.1, which exhibited strong phenotypic effects and consistent performance across environments, making them promising candidates for marker-assisted selection. Among these, qLr.iari.3BL.1, flanked by SNP AX-94,715,535, emerged as a stable and widely distributed resistance locus in Indian wheat. The QTLs qLr.iari.5BL.2 and qLr.iari.7BL.3 were detected in two environments and appear to reside in genomic regions with no previously reported resistance genes. The findings underscore the continued breeding value of classical resistance genes (e.g., Lr13/Yr27) and the potential of novel loci for developing durable, rust-resistant wheat varieties adapted to Indian conditions. This first GWAS in Indian-bred wheat lines identifies stable, novel QTLs for rust resistance, enabling marker-assisted selection and accelerating the development of climate-resilient, rust-resistant cultivars for improved food security.

The external factors affecting the developing crop, mostly determined by prevailing weather and appropriate agronomic practices during crucial developmental phases, are vital for grain yield consolidation. As climatic conditions evolve, enhancing wheat production through empirical selection in breeding is increasingly difficult, making physiology-based breeding more pertinent. A total of 260 advanced breeding lines (ABLs), including four checks, namely HD 3226, HDCSW18, HD 3117, and HD 2967, were tested across multiple locations and sowing times. The purpose was to identify genotypes exhibiting significant genetic diversity in physiological traits, and to determine the most discriminating environments for effective selection. The combined analysis of variance analysis revealed a greater degree of genetic variability for key physiological traits associated with radiation capture and utilisation, suggesting potential for wheat improvement through fine modulation of these traits. Physiological traits like crop growth rate (CGR) and canopy temperature depression (CTD) are significantly affected by environmental conditions, necessitating selection within the environment to achieve possible yield enhancements. The variation in grain yield (GY) and leaf area index (LAI) was mostly attributed to genotype-environment (GE) interaction; thus, a more effectively adapted genotype can be illustrated by GGE. Among the environments, late sowing conditions in Delhi (DLLS) emerged as the most discriminating for ABLs.The genotypes, namely 444 (HD2967/HD2887//HD2946//HD2733), 249 (HD2967/HD2887//HD2946/HD2733), 311 (DW1272/HP1731//43-IBWSN-1102), and 381 (HD3117/HW5207), demonstrated both high grain yield and stability across diverse locations and sowing times. Genotype selection based on grain yield (outcome of the combined effect of key traits), highlighting their potential as foundational material for future wheat improvement. The key finding is that genetic advancement in wheat improvement can be facilitated by selection based on key physiological traits such as leaf area index (LAI), canopy temperature depression (CTD), and chlorophyll content index (CCI) of the flag leaf.

BACKGROUND:To ensure food security amid unpredictable climatic conditions and depleting natural resources, larger and stable genetic gain have to be realised in wheat. Adapting to these challenges requires focus on both above-ground and below-ground traits. Root anatomy reveals the functional adaptations of the root system. Despite their potential, root anatomical traits remain underutilized but hold promise as breeding targets for developing efficient and resilient crops. Our study aims to identify highly plastic wheat genotypes with superior yield stability and robust root anatomical traits, enabling them to thrive under diverse and challenging environmental conditions. By leveraging advanced multi-trait stability indices and models, we seek to provide breeders with valuable insights for enhancing wheat resilience and productivity. RESULTS:In this study, 150 wheat genotypes were evaluated across three diverse environments for 10 root anatomical traits along with phenological observation and grain yield. The results show significant positive correlations between root traits, such as axial hydraulic conductance based on the central metaxylem area and total xylem area, with grain yield. This highlights the critical role of these less explored root traits in yield formation. Central metaxylem area was able to explain more than 14 per cent variation in yield over all the three environments. Although the polynomial equation did not significantly improve data fitness, it clearly indicates no sign of yield saturation at the highest CMXA levels. Modern tools like GGE and AMMI though highly effective in reducing the dimensions but do not effectively rank genotypes on the basis of different trait values simultaneously. Advanced models such as BLUP, WAASB, and multi-trait stability indices (MTSI, MGIDI, and FAI-BLUP) have the power to overcome the collinearity in different variables and use the trait values to identify superior genotypes. Genotypes such as G97 and G18 (both being derivative from the cross HDCSW18/CSW1), G112, G144 (both CIMMYT material) and G131 (31ESWYT135/CSW23) consistently exhibited high yield and stability and were picked up by all models. The study demonstrated a moderate coincidence index of 22.72% among these models, confirming the value of selected genotypes. Positive correlations between traits like axial hydraulic conductance and yield highlighted the importance of efficient water transport, nutrient exchange and hydraulic safety of crop. CONCLUSION:Central metaxylem area based axial hydraulic conductance is explaining more than 14 per cent of variation in the yield across the environment and this along with whole root area and proper phenological adjustment can play key role in yield consolidation with high resilience under more likely uncertain production condition in the future. Three out of five genotypes consistently being picked by different stability models are derivative of HDCSW18, a variety released for conservation agriculture condition and with very strong root system and biomass. High biomass accumulation facilitated by early seeding of the genotypes with mild vernalisation requirement with high root central metaxylem area can sustain higher seed production under challenging climates and thus the findings contribute to strategies for improving wheat resilience.

This study is the first to characterize the ancient wheat landrace Triticum sphaerococcum for drought and heat tolerance indices. A total of 116 T. sphaerococcum accessions and 6 bread wheat cultivars were evaluated under terminal heat (late sowing) and drought (restricted irrigation) stress during the 2021-22 (CS1) and 2022-23 (CS2) cropping seasons. Significant genotypic variation for stress indices was observed. T. sphaerococcum exhibited smaller yield declines under stress compared to bread wheat. In CS1, 57% of the accessions showed drought tolerance, and 63% exhibited heat tolerance. In CS2, 30 out of 45 accessions displayed tolerance to drought (SSI_D: 0.29-0.99), and 24 accessions showed tolerance to heat (SSI_H: 0.50-0.99). Correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between the stress susceptibility indices (SSI, SSPI) and grain yield under stress, while yield index (YI), mean productivity (MP), geometric mean (GMP), harmonic mean (HM), and mean relative performance (MRP) showed a positive correlation. Using principal component, biplot, and cluster analyses, it was found that accessions TS49 and TS27 did best in drought stress and TS49, TS61, and PAUTS16 did best in heat stress. These ancient wheat accessions represent valuable genetic resources for breeding stress-tolerant wheat cultivars and enhancing genetic diversity.

Silicon (Si), an important quasi-element, influences various genetic and physiological responses in enhancing plant resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses in many crops. Its uptake and deposition are markedly influenced by genetic makeup. It plays a significant role in enhancing photosynthetic efficiency, modulating hormonal balance, and activating defence mechanisms through regulating antioxidant systems and expressing defence-related genes, leading to increased stress tolerance and improved yield. This study investigates the genetic basis of silicon (Si) response in wheat, focusing on its role in enhancing resistance to leaf rust. A diverse wheat genotype panel, coupled with multi-year data, was utilized to perform genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with Si response. The results revealed significant genotype-specific responses under Si-treated (Si+) and untreated (Si−) conditions, for leaf rust resistance, highlighting Si’s involvement in both physical and molecular resistance mechanisms. Si application led to a substantial reduction in the coefficient of infection (COI) for leaf rust. Linkage disequilibrium (LD)-block-based analysis using haploview identified 11 significant QTLs for leaf rust resistance, with key loci mapped on chromosomes 4B, 7 A, 7B, and 4D. Notably, eight novel Si-responsive QTLs were detected under Si+-three associated with leaf rust resistance (qLr7AS.1_Si+, qLr6DS.1_Si+, and qLr7BL.1_Si+). Functional annotation of candidate genes revealed the involvement of key pathways, including cation transport, isomerase and, ethylene-responsive transcription factors reflecting Si’s multifaceted role in enhancing mineral uptake, stress tolerance, and overall plant growth. The identified Si-responsive QTLs, once validated across diverse wheat populations, hold significant promise for developing Si-responsive genotypes with improved resistance. Our results provide important insights into the genetic basis of Si response and can assist in developing molecular markers for selecting and integrating Si-responsive genomic regions into wheat breeding lines.

Climate change poses a serious threat to global food security by introducing uncertainty in production condition including water availability to growing crops. Technological intervention like improved crop adaptation and higher yield potential through breeding are immediately needed to ensure better availability of food to still growing low- and middle-income societies like South Asia. Root traits, such as root system architecture, root biomass, root angle, xylem diameter, root hairs, root length and root hydraulics, are crucial for plant adaptation to variable environments, but they are often overlooked in the most of crop improvement programme because of difficulty in scoring these traits. Water banking by optimization hydraulic efficiency of vascular system through reduced root density and reduced xylem diameter can play important role for adaptation for reduced water availability. The challenges of nondestructive screening in the segregating generation hampers the genetic progress Recent advances in high-throughput phenotyping facilities and identification of molecular markers has made the selection in breeding population feasible. This review explores how root morphology and anatomy influence water and nutrient uptake and how high-throughput phenotyping and genotyping can facilitate the identification of root traits associated with climate resilience. As outcome of the study, we propose an ideal wheat ideotype with deep roots, narrow root angles and low axial hydraulic conductance combined with high xylem hydraulic safety in pursuit of climate-smart wheat crops thriving under decreasing water availability throughout the growing season. In this review, we have also discussed the root-related quantitative trait loci/genes in wheat and its related species to facilitate comparative genomic analyses and their subsequent integration in the breeding programme. The review thus highlights the potential importance of optimization of metaxylem vessel size, root biomass, root length, roots hairs and understanding soil microbiota and its interaction with different root phenes in designing the better wheat ideotypes, which can offer the potential solution to climate change in the future.

Abstract The Septoria tritici blotch (STB) [Zymoseptoria tritici (Desm.)] of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is characterized by its polycyclic and hemibiotrophic nature. It is one of the most dangerous diseases affecting wheat production worldwide. Durable resistance is largely decided by the combined effect of several quantitative trait loci (QTLs) having a minor effect. Currently, STB is not important in South Asia. However, STB expanding and wider adaptability, changing climatic conditions, and agronomic practices can create a situation of concern. Therefore, dissection of the genetic architecture of adult‐plant resistance with genome‐wide association mapping and selection of resistant sources for adult plant STB resistance were carried out on a panel of South Asian germplasm. We discovered the 91 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) associated with STB resistance; 23 QTNs were repetitive across the different years and models. Many of these QTNs could differentiate the mapping panel into resistant versus susceptible groups and were linked to candidate genes related to disease resistance functions within linkage disequilibrium blocks. The repetitive QTNs, namely, Q.CIM.stb.2DL.2, Q.CIM.stb_dh.2DL.3, Q.CIM.stb.2AL.5, and Q.CIM.stb.7BL.1, may be novel due to the absence of co‐localization of previously reported QTLs, meta‐quantitative trait loci, and STB genes. There was a perfect negative correlation between the stacking of favorable alleles and STB susceptibility, and STB resistance response was improved by ∼50% with the stacking of ≥60% favorable alleles. The genotypes, namely, CIM20, CIM56, CIM57, CIM18, CIM44, WK2395, and K1317, could be used as resistant sources in wheat breeding programs. Therefore, this study could aid in designing the breeding programs for STB resistance before the onset of the alarming situation of STB in South Asia.

Abstract Spot blotch caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana ((Sacc.) Shoemaker) (teleomorph: Cochliobolus sativus [Ito and Kuribayashi] Drechsler ex Dastur) is an economically important disease of warm and humid regions. The present study focused on identifying resistant genotypes and single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with spot blotch resistance in a panel of 174 bread spring wheat lines using field screening and genome‐wide association mapping strategies. Field experiments were conducted in Agua Fria, Mexico, during the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 cropping seasons. A wide range of phenotypic variation was observed among genotypes tested during both years. Twenty SNP markers showed significant association with spot blotch resistance on 15 chromosomes, namely, 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2D, 3A, 3B, 4B, 4D, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 7A, and 7B. Of these, two consistently significant SNPs on 5A, TA003225‐0566 and TA003225‐1427, may represent a new resistance quantitative trait loci. Further, in the proximity of Tsn1 on 5B, AX‐94435238 was the most stable and consistent in both years. The identified genomic regions could be deployed to develop spot blotch‐resistant genotypes, particularly in the spot blotch‐vulnerable wheat growing areas.

Background: Understanding genetic diversity and population structure is crucial for strategizing and enhancing breeding efficiency. Wheat, a globally cultivated crop, is a significant source of daily calories for humans. To overcome challenges such as extreme climatic fluctuations, stagnant yields, and diminishing genetic variation, it is essential to develop diverse germplasms with new alleles. Triticum sphaerococcum, an underutilized ancient hexaploid wheat species, shows promise for contributing beneficial alleles. However, the genetic diversity of its germplasms remains unstudied. This is the first report where we have examined the genetic diversity and population structure of 116 T. sphaerococcumaccessions using a 35K SNP Array. The objective of this study is to apply these findings to improve wheat breeding programs. Results: Analysis of the population's genetic structure identified four potential subpopulations, which was supported by principal coordinate analysis. Allele neutrality tests showed an abundance of intermediate genotypes, suggesting that many beneficial alleles are maintained through balancing selection. Among the three subgenomes, subgenome B exhibited the highest genetic diversity. AMOVA (Analysis of Molecular Variance) revealed significant variation both among (35%) and within (65%) the four subpopulations. The high genetic differentiation between subpopulations was corroborated by a moderate level of haploid migrant numbers (Nm = 1.286), indicating sufficient gene flow. SP4 emerged as the most diverse subpopulation, showing the highest values for allelic pattern indices due to its larger size and higher percentage of polymorphic loci. The D subgenome displayed a faster linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay rate compared to the A and B subgenomes. Haplotype block analysis identified 260 haplotype blocks of varying sizes distributed across the genome. Conclusions: This research demonstrates that Indian dwarf wheat accessions, sourced from three distinct gene banks and local collections, possess considerable genetic diversity. These germplasm collections offer valuable opportunities to investigate their unexplored genetic potential. They can be utilized in wheat improvement initiatives to tackle both present and future breeding challenges. Furthermore, these accessions can introduce new alleles to broaden the genetic base of modern wheat varieties, enhancing their overall diversity.

Septoria tritici blotch (STB), caused by the ascomycete fungus Zymoseptoria tritici, poses severe challenges to wheat cultivation worldwide. Deployment of resistant cultivars renders a practical way to control this disease. Therefore, the identification of resistant sources and genes/QTLs is imperative. We attempted to elucidate the genomic architecture for adult-plant STB resistance in a Septoria Association Mapping Panel (SAMP), which has 181 cultivars and advanced breeding genotypes from bread wheat breeding programs in India and Bangladesh. Field experiments identified several accessions such as BGD52 (CHIR7/ANB//CHIR1), BGD54 (CHIR7/ANB//CHIR1), IND92 (WH 1218), IND8 (DBW 168) and IND75 (PBW 800) possessing high levels of resistance. Genetic analysis indicated 21 stable quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) for STB resistance on all wheat chromosomes except 2D, 3A, 3D, 4A, 4D, 5D, 6B, 6D and 7A, most of which were found on previously identified chromosome regions for STB resistance. Three QTNs exhibited bigger phenotypic effects and were identified in all three experiments, including Q.STB.5A.1 , Q.STB.5B.1 and Q.STB.5B.3 . Additionally, QTNs on chromosomes 1A ( Q.STB.1A.1 ), 2A ( Q.STB_DH.2A.1 , Q.STB.2A.3 ), 2B ( Q.STB.2B.4 ), 5A ( Q.STB.5A.1, Q.STB.5A.2 ) and 7B ( Q.STB.7B.2 ) might represent novel resistance QTL. The resistant genotypes and molecular markers identified in the present study could be used for STB resistance breeding programmes around the globe. Background Septoria tritici blotch (STB) disease causes yield losses of up to 50 per cent in susceptible wheat cultivars and can pose serious threat to wheat production. In this study, genomic architecture for adult-plant STB resistance in a Septoria Association Mapping Panel (SAMP) having 181 cultivars and genomic regions governing STB resistance in a South Asian wheat panel were looked for. Results The study found STB resistance sources, genomic regions, QTLs, haplotypes, pleiotropic SNPs, and candidate genes in Asian bread wheat genotypes. Five of the discovered QTNs i.e. on chromosomes 1A ( Q.STB.1A.1 ), 2A ( Q.STB_DH.2A.1 , Q.STB.2A.3 ), 2B ( Q.STB.2B.4 ), 5A ( Q.STB.5A.1, Q.STB.5A.2 ) and 7B ( Q.STB.7B.2 ) were potentially unique. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate the importance of Asian bread wheat as a source of STB resistance alleles and novel stable QTNs for wheat breeding initiatives to generate durable and broad-spectrum Z. tritici -resistant wheat cultivars.

To sustainably increase wheat yield to meet the growing world population's food demand in the face of climate change, Conservation Agriculture (CA) is a promising approach. Still, there is a lack of genomic studies investigating the genetic basis of crop adaptation to CA. To dissect the genetic architecture of 19 morpho-physiological traits that could be involved in the enhanced adaptation and performance of genotypes under CA, we performed GWAS to identify MTAs under four contrasting production regimes viz., conventional tillage timely sown (CTTS), conservation agriculture timely sown (CATS), conventional tillage late sown (CTLS) and conservation agriculture late sown (CALS) using an association panel of 183 advanced wheat breeding lines along with 5 checks. Traits like Phi2 (Quantum yield of photosystem II; CATS:0.37, CALS: 0.31), RC (Relative chlorophyll content; CATS:55.51, CALS: 54.47) and PS1 (Active photosystem I centers; CATS:2.45, CALS: 2.23) have higher mean values in CA compared to CT under both sowing times. GWAS identified 80 MTAs for the studied traits across four production environments. The phenotypic variation explained (PVE) by these QTNs ranged from 2.15 to 40.22%. Gene annotation provided highly informative SNPs associated with Phi2, NPQ (Quantum yield of non-photochemical quenching), PS1, and RC which were linked with genes that play crucial roles in the physiological adaptation under both CA and CT. A highly significant SNP AX94651261 (9.43% PVE) was identified to be associated with Phi2, while two SNP markers AX94730536 (30.90% PVE) and AX94683305 (16.99% PVE) were associated with NPQ. Identified QTNs upon validation can be used in marker-assisted breeding programs to develop CA adaptive genotypes.

An ancient landrace of wheat Triticum sphaerococcum Perc. has been characterized for agronomic and physiological traits under timely sown-irrigated (TS-IR), timely sown restricted irrigation (TS-RI), and irrigated late sown conditions (IR-LS) in the winter season of 2021–22. A total of 116 accessions were collected from major gene banks across the world and examined, along with 20 bread wheat cultivars. The assessed genotypes revealed a considerable degree of variance for the trait under study. Average grain yields for the T. sphaerococcum accessions were 33.29 q/ha in TS-IR, 28.95 q/ha in TS-RI, and 26.15 q/ha in LS-IR. The extent of grain yield decline is lesser than that of bread wheat. This indicates that these species can withstand conditions of limited irrigation and extreme heat. T. sphaerococcum accessions had lower yield than bread wheat, although accessions like TS 49, TS5, TS6, TS17, TS27, and TS 61 have higher yield (> 35 q/ha) under stress conditions. Under the TS-RI trial, 25 accessions of T. sphaerococcum achieved significantly greater yields when compared to one of the well-known drought-tolerant cultivars, C 306 (29.2 q/ha). Grain yield under TS-RI and LS-IR trial exhibits substantial negative association with canopy temperature at physiological maturity (− 0.63*, and − 0.74***), and strong positive correlation with TGW (0.83*** and 0.82***), GRPS (0.67***, and 0.92***). This demonstrates that the greater grain yield can be attributed to the T. sphaerococcum accessions’ ability to keep their canopies cooler in the face of heat stress. Thus, the introduction of ancient wheat in wheat cross breeding programme will increase genetic diversity and diversify current cultivars.

The leaf blight diseases, Septoria nodorum blotch (SNB), and tan spot (TS) are emerging due to changing climatic conditions in the northern parts of India. We screened 296 bread wheat cultivars released in India over the past 20 years for seedling resistance against SNB (three experiments) and TS (two experiments). According to a genome-wide association study, six QTLs on chromosome arms 1BL, 2AS, 5BL, and 6BL were particularly significant for SNB across all three years, of which Q.CIM.snb.1BL, Q.CIM.snb.2AS1, Q.CIM.snb.2AS.2, and Q.CIM.snb.6BL appeared novel. In contrast, those on 5BS and 5BL may correspond to Snn3 and Tsn1, respectively. The allelic combination of tsn1/snn3 conferred resistance to SNB, whereas that of Tsn1/Snn3 conferred high susceptibility. As for TS, Tsn1 was the only stably significant locus identified in this panel. Several varieties like PBW 771, DBW 277, and HD 3319, were identified as highly resistant to both diseases that can be used in future wheat improvement programs as resistant donors.

Breeding wheat for a better root system and compatibility under conservation agriculture (CA) practices have the potential to increase and sustain grain yield production under changing climate scenarios. Due to the practical challenges in evaluating the " hidden half"of crop plants under field conditions, screening of genotypes under hydroponic environments will help to get around these difficulties. The present study used hydroponic growing conditions to analyze the root traits of 55 Synthetic Hexaploid Wheat (SHW) genotypes and 19 bread wheat cultivars. These cultivars are developed over the past 100 years for India's North Western Plain Zone. For root architectural traits, a substantial diversity was found. Due to the positive correlation with dry root weight, root length (RLsc and RLrs), root volume, root surface area, average diameter, and dry shoot weight can be effectively combined. Further analysis of a subset of 34 SHW lines revealed that SHW lines like SYN2, SYN28, and SYN13 have greater root lengths, root volumes, root surface area, and number of root tips when compared to mega varieties like PBW 343, HD 2967, HD 3086, and other popular varieties. Many SHW lines displayed thicker and longer coleoptiles than released varieties. In CA, coleoptile thickness is equally important as coleoptile length because it helps the crop emerge well from the high residue load. The findings of this study clearly indicate that useful genetic variation for the traits important for CA exists in synthetic wheat and should be explored for bread wheat improvement.