Testing the potential of zebularine to induce heritable changes in crop growth and development.

ABSTRACT:

Key message

Zebularine-treated wheat uncovered a phenotype with characteristics of an epigenetically regulated trait, but major chromosomal aberrations, not DNA methylation changes, are the cause, making zebularine unsuitable for epigenetic breeding. Breeding to identify disease-resistant and climate-tolerant high-yielding wheats has led to yield increases over many years, but new hardy, higher yielding varieties are still needed to improve food security in the face of climate change. Traditional breeding to develop new cultivars of wheat is a lengthy process taking more than seven years from the initial cross to cultivar release. The speed of breeding can be enhanced by using modern technologies including high-throughput phenomics, genomic selection, and directed mutation via CRIS

SUBMITTER: Finnegan EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11723894 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature