Breeders map wheat plant genetic make-up

摘要

The technology being used to breed new wheat varieties with desirable traits will be highlighted at Cereals this year. Knowing where a particular trait can be found in the complex genetic make-up of a wheat plant is now a reality for breeding companies. Thanks to the use of markers, traits have been listed and plotted on the relevant chromosome number and set of genes, giving a "map" of the main traits that are of interest and an understanding of which genes need to be present in order for them to beexpressed.