Genetius

The study evaluated the effects of Blown‑Arc plasma treatment on wheat seeds, finding faster early germination without changes in total germination, field emergence, yield, or grain quality. Longer exposure (180 s) increased heads per plant but reduced seedling emergence in one year, likely due to soil microbes. Overall, the plasma treatment is safe but its benefits under variable conditions need further research.

The study evaluated stomatal anatomical and physiological traits across 200 wheat genotypes in multi‑environment field trials to understand their role in heat tolerance, revealing that early sowing enhances stomatal conductance and efficiency while delayed sowing decouples structural capacity from performance. Significant genotypic variation and moderate heritability were observed, leading to the identification of 125 putative QTL—including stable loci on chromosomes 2B, 5B, and 7B—supporting the integration of stomatal traits into breeding for climate‑resilient wheat.

We show that in wheat, simultaneously mutating the plastid division gene PARC6 and the granule initiation gene BGC1 dramatically enlarges A‑type starch granules, producing granules more than twice the normal size without affecting plant growth or grain yield. The double mutant creates a novel class of giant cereal starch with altered viscosity and pasting temperature, offering potential food and industrial applications.

The study evaluated three genetically modified wheat line groups (TaExpA6, TaGW2, and TaP1xGW2A) under conventional and low plant densities to dissect the trade‑off between grain number and thousand‑grain weight. Overexpression of TaExpA6 increased grain weight without compromising grain number, leading to higher grain yield, whereas TaGW2 knockout raised grain weight but reduced spike and grain numbers, offsetting yield gains; low plant density mitigated the trade‑off by reallocating resources to spikes.

The authors identified 34 nicotianamine synthase (TaNAS) genes and four cultivar‑specific variants in bread wheat, showing root‑biased expression and Fe‑deficiency upregulation. Overexpressing selected TaNAS genes, especially TaNAS6, in transgenic wheat increased grain iron, zinc, and nicotianamine concentrations up to 1.8‑fold and 3.7‑fold respectively, without yield penalties, demonstrating a promising intragenic strategy for biofortification.

The study evaluated TaGW2 loss‑of‑function mutants in hexaploid wheat across multiple years, locations, and sowing densities, finding that mutations increase grain size and thousand‑grain weight but do not improve overall yield due to a trade‑off with grain number. Interactions with semi‑dwarfing RHT alleles were allele‑specific, with the TaGW2‑A1D1 double mutant offering the best combination of larger grains and yield stability, making it a promising breeding target.

The study combined whole‑genome bisulphite sequencing and RNA‑seq in Triticum aestivum landraces to reveal how DNA methylation shapes drought responses, showing opposing patterns across cytosine contexts and a key demethylation role for ROS1a. Gene‑body methylation correlates with high, stable expression but reduced stress inducibility, while drought‑induced hypermethylation of the RLX_famc9 retrotransposon likely suppresses siRNA‑mediated trans‑regulation of stress genes.

The study integrated quantitative mycotoxin profiling with untargeted metabolomics across 105 wheat genotypes inoculated with Fusarium culmorum in field conditions to identify molecular signatures of infection. Deoxynivalenol levels correlated with sesquiterpene-derived metabolites, while glycosylated diterpene conjugates were associated with low toxin accumulation, suggesting a potential defense role.

Using a wheat protoplast‑based screen, the authors identified the stripe rust effector AvrPstB48, which triggers defence responses in many wheat cultivars, though its activation does not always predict disease resistance. Whole‑plant assays showed that cultivars recognizing AvrPstB48 experience delayed disease progression, supporting a “recognize‑then‑suppress” model where downstream pathogen effectors modulate outcomes.

The study examined crown roots of six German winter wheat cultivars, using high‑throughput imaging and the GRANAR‑MECHA model to link anatomical traits to radial (Kr) and axial (kx) hydraulic conductance. It found pronounced longitudinal gradients—tissues and metaxylem vessels decrease from the base, raising Kr and lowering kx—and that modern cultivars possess smaller tissues and fewer metaxylem vessels, reducing overall water uptake by ~20‑30%. The integrated phenotyping approach highlights how both root position and cultivar-specific anatomy shape hydraulic function.