The illustration shows the distribution routes of wheat based on its genetic similarity patterns. They are similar to human migration routes over the same period.

Wheat evolution mapped

Wheat gene pools changed in part due to socio-economic factors

As the world population grows and climate change progresses, food resources could become scarce in the future. That has ramped up the pressure on plant breeders to improve the yield of our staple plants, giving rise to a key question: Can existing varieties be optimized through breeding? To help boost the yield of today’s sorts, […] Read more