Efficient Noninvasive FHB Estimation using RGB Images from a Novel Multiyear, Multirater Dataset.

head blight (FHB) is one of the most prevalent wheat diseases, causing substantial yield losses and health risks. Efficient phenotyping of FHB is crucial for accelerating resistance breeding, but currently used methods are time-consuming and expensive. The present article suggests a noninvasive classification model for FHB severity estimation using red-green-blue (RGB) images, without requiring extensive preprocessing.

The Transferability of Spectral Grain Yield Prediction in Wheat Breeding across Years and Trial Locations.

Grain yield (GY) prediction based on non-destructive UAV-based spectral sensing could make screening of large field trials more efficient and objective. However, the transfer of models remains challenging, and is affected by location, year-dependent weather conditions and measurement dates. Therefore, this study evaluates GY modelling across years and locations, considering the effect of measurement dates within years.

Unlocking big data doubled the accuracy in predicting the grain yield in hybrid wheat.

The potential of big data to support businesses has been demonstrated in financial services, manufacturing, and telecommunications. Here, we report on efforts to enter a new data era in plant breeding by collecting genomic and phenotypic information from 12,858 wheat genotypes representing 6575 single-cross hybrids and 6283 inbred lines that were evaluated in six experimental series for yield in field trials encompassing ~125,000 plots. Integrating data resulted in twofold higher prediction ability compared with cases in which hybrid performance was predicted across individual experimental series.

Negative dominance and dominance-by-dominance epistatic effects reduce grain-yield heterosis in wide crosses in wheat.

The genetics underlying heterosis, the difference in performance of crosses compared with midparents, is hypothesized to vary with relatedness between parents. We established a unique germplasm comprising three hybrid wheat sets differing in the degree of divergence between parents and devised a genetic distance measure giving weight to heterotic loci. Heterosis increased steadily with heterotic genetic distance for all 1903 hybrids.

Genome-wide association mapping of preharvest sprouting resistance in a diversity panel of European winter wheats.

Global wheat production will benefit from cultivars showing genetic resistance to preharvest sprouting (PHS). Working on PHS resistance is still challenging due to the lack of simple protocols for the provocation of symptoms for appropriate trait differentiation under highly variable environmental conditions. Therefore, the availability of molecular markers for enhancing PHS resistance in breeding lines is of utmost importance.