1. Wheat Improvement for the Changing
Climate:
Adaptation to Heat Stress Environments
Izzat S. A. Tahir
ARC/ICARDA
International Workshop on: “Applied Mathematics and Omics Technologies for
Discovering Biodiversity and Genetic Resources for Climate Change Mitigation and
Adaptation to Sustain Agriculture in Drylands”
Rabat - Morocco, 24-27 June 2014

2. Outlines
• Climate change and its effects on wheat
production
• Breeding strategy and methodology
• Wheat improvement for heat tolerance
• Broadening the wheat genetic diversity
• Crop management
• Integrated approaches
• Precision Phenotyping Platforms
• Conclusions

3. Abstract
Breeding high-yielding wheat varieties adapted to diverse environments is regarded as
one of the most important means needed to meet the ever increasing global demand
for wheat especially in the light of the ensuing climate change. Genetic improvement of
wheat yield could be through a better exploitation of genetic diversity, understanding
and mining physiological traits associated with climate change and then utilization
these traits via their introduction into new varieties by conventional breeding and/or
genetic manipulation. Multiple synthetic derivatives (MSD) developed by Tottori
University utilizing diverse sources of Aegilops tauschii are being evaluated for heat
stress tolerance in Sudan. Multi-location evaluation and selection is essential for
identifying high-yielding better adapted wheat varieties. In this respect, close
collaboration, coordination and communication are needed among the national
(NARS), regional and international wheat research centers and scientific community.
One of the good examples for such collaboration between NARS and international
center is wheat improvement under heat stress condition coordinated by
CIMMYT/ICARDA. In this regard, wheat germplasm targeted to heat stress areas is
evaluated and selected under temperature gradients ranging from favorable to very
high temperatures. Some stress adaptive traits have been identified and could be used
for further improvement and mining the genetic resources for heat stress tolerance.
Promising lines identified have been shared among west and east African low lands
experiencing high temperature during the growing season. This is further supported
by the plan to set up Precision Wheat Phenotyping Platforms (PWPPs) anticipated to
improve the breadth and quality of data collected and shared among wheat scientists.

4. Climate changeand its effects on wheat
production
• Increased frequency of:
• Heat stress,
• Droughts
• Flooding
• Reduced crop yields.
• Food insecurity due to extreme climate events
• Countries with less wealth and natural resource
adapt less efficiently to climate change
IPCC, 2007

5. Climate change and its effects on wheat production, cont.
• Global warming:
• Could be beneficial for wheat in some regions,
• Could reduce productivity in zones where optimal
temperatures already exist.
• How to adapt and mitigate the climate change effects:
• Germplasm development
• Crop management
• Mitigation
(Climate change: Can wheat beat the heat? (Ortiz et
al. 2008).

6. Figs. Adapted from Lobell et al. 2008. Science ,
319: 607-610

7. Breeding Strategy and Methodology
• Broadening the genetic
base and enhancing
variability:
 Locally adapted cultivars
 Landraces
 Wild relatives
 Derived synthetic wheat
 Winter wheat gene

8. BreedingStrategy and Methodology,cont.
• Strategic trait-based
crossing to address
different objectives:
 Yield potential
 Biotic stresses
 Abiotic stresses
(e.g. Heat stress)
 Grain quality
Bringing drought and heat adaptive traits together in one genotype could increase
wheat yields particularly in low yielding environments.
Lopes et al. 2012. Field Crops Res. 128:129–136

9. BreedingStrategy and Methodology,cont.
• Biotech Tools:
• Doubled haploid
(Anther/microspore
culture)
• Molecular Breeding

10. Multi-environment testing and
evaluation
• Yield potential
• Breeding for Abiotic Stress Tolerance:
• Cold
• Drought
• Heat stress

11.  Attempts to expand wheat into heat-stressed
areas in Central Sudan from 1918-1940 failed
due to the lack of:
 Adapted cultivars
 Appropriate cultural practices
 Intensified wheat breeding in collaboration
with CG Centers resulted in the release of
several heat stress tolerant cultivars,
 The major outcome was the expansion of wheat
to new heat-stressed areas.
An example

12. The genetic gain in grain yield under the heat stress
environment of Sudan was estimated to be 30.2 kg/ha/year
Tahir et al. 2000

13. Wheat improvement for heat tolerance

14. Wad Medani
Dongola
Sids
Screening and Selection for Heat Tolerance: Temperature
gradient
Mean temperatures (0C) during crop season (LTA)
28.9
20.8
16.4
0 20 40
Wad Medani,
Sudan
Dongola, Sudan
Sids, Egypt

15. Daysto heading and grain yield acrosssites
8860
5250
3540
89
68
59
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
Sids
(Egypt)
Dongola
(N Sudan)
Wad
Medani (C
Sudan)
Grain yield (kg/ha)
Days to heading

16. Screening/Selectionforheattolerance:Hotspots
• Advanced lines and
segregating populations (F3-
F6) evaluated at Wad Medani,
Sudan.
• Visual selection have been
made
• More than 65% of visually
selected lines were of high
yield

17. Materials received from CIMMYT, ICARDA + National Program
evaluated and selected under temperature gradients

18. /
• Selected elite lines redistributed to different East and west
African countries involved in SARD-SC Wheat Project
• Promising and encouraging results obtained

19.  Partners countries expressed their
satisfaction with the material received and
evaluated
 A number of entries have been frequently
selected by partners form the nurseries
received
 Some lines selected across several
environments
Preliminary Results (2013/2014 Season):

20.  REYNA-28
 REYNA-29
 JNRB.5/PIFED
 KINGBRD#1//INQALAB91*2/TUKURU
 HUBARA-3*2/SHUHA-4
 HUBARA-16/2*SOMAMA-3
 KAUZ'S'/FLORKWA-1//GOUMRIA-3
 SERI.1B*2/3/KAUZ*2/BOW//KAUZ/4/ANGI-2
 ATTILA 50Y//ATTILA/BCN/3/STAR*MUSK-3
 SERI.1B*2/3/KAUZ*2/BOW//KAUZ/4/KAUZ/FLORKWA-1
Most frequently selected lines/families:

21. More studies at molecular level:
• Association Mapping
Panel (GRDC Project)
• WAM I
• Physiological and
Molecular Breeding

22. Broadening the wheat genetic diversity for abiotic
stress tolerance (Multiple Synthetic Derivatives, MSD
Tsujimoto et al.
• Genetic diversity of diverse
51 accessions of Aegilops
tauschi was analyzed using
DArT markers.
• The accessions were crossed
with a durum wheat to
produce 51 amphidiploids
designated as primary
synthetics
• Each primary synthetic line
was crossed with ‘Norin 61

23. Stress adaptive traits
Canopy temperature
Fig. adapted from Pask et al . 2012
Ground cover
Fig. adapted from Pask et al . 2012
Stomatal conductance
Key developmental (phenological) stages

24. NUT
H2O
CHO
CHO
Stem Reserve
Remobilization
NUT
H2O

25. Crop management
• Raised bed planting
• Conservation
Agriculture
• New Irrigation systems

26. More approaches
• Mathematics, Omics and Modeling
• Network s
• Facilities
• Platforms for integrated solution

27. Credit agencies
Trader/marketer
transporter
NGOs
Farmers
Government policies, Informal institutions, practices, behaviors and attitudes
NARS
Extension
agencies
Education
and training
organizations
Development
agencies
SARD-SC Wheat
Research teams
Local and
regional
decision
makers
Service providers
Manufacturers
IAR4D and Innovation Systems:
Innovation Platform

28. Precision Phenotyping Platforms
• Precision Wheat Phenotyping Platforms
(PWPPs) anticipated to:
• Improve the breadth and quality of data
collected
• Data and knowledge shared among wheat
scientists.
• Wad Medani, Sudan is proposed as PWPP
for heat stress

29. Conclusions
• Better exploitation of genetic diversity,
understanding and mining physiological climate
change-adaptive traits and their utilization .
• Multi-location testing is important for spatial
adaptation and identification of temporally stable,
stress tolerant germplasm
• Evaluation at hot spots has resulted in the
development of several promising lines tolerance
to abiotic stresses
• Broadening the wheat genetic diversity
• Networking and international collaboration
• Platforms for Integrated solution