Scientists on the College of Maryland have uncovered the genetic key behind a uncommon wheat selection that produces three grains the place extraordinary wheat grows only one.
The workforce discovered {that a} usually inactive gene, WUSCHEL-D1, turns into lively early in flower improvement, inflicting the plant to kind further ovaries that may every develop right into a grain. This discovery might permit breeders to develop new, higher-yielding wheat varieties with no need extra land or assets, providing a serious step towards assembly international meals calls for in a altering local weather.
Unlocking a Genetic Secret in Wheat
Researchers on the College of Maryland have recognized the gene answerable for a uncommon wheat selection that develops three ovaries in every flower as a substitute of only one. As a result of each ovary can develop right into a grain, this discovering might enormously enhance the quantity of wheat produced per acre. The invention was detailed within the Proceedings of the Nationwide Academy of Sciences on October 14, 2025.
The bizarre three-ovary trait was first present in a naturally occurring mutant of frequent bread wheat, however scientists didn’t initially know what triggered it. To uncover the genetic distinction, the Maryland workforce created a exact map of the mutant wheat’s DNA and compared it with that of ordinary wheat. Their analysis revealed that a normally inactive gene, known as WUSCHEL-D1 (WUS-D1), had been activated. When WUS-D1 turns on early during flower formation, it enlarges the floral tissue and allows the plant to produce additional female organs such as pistils or ovaries.
Turning Genes Into Yield Boosters
If scientists and breeders can learn to trigger this same process, they may be able to develop new wheat varieties that produce more kernels on each plant. Even small increases in kernel number could have a major impact on the world’s food supply.
“Pinpointing the genetic basis of this trait offers a path for breeders to incorporate it into new wheat varieties, potentially increasing the number of grains per spike and overall yield,” said Vijay Tiwari, Associate Professor of Plant Sciences and co-author of the study. “By employing a gene editing toolkit, we can now focus on further improving this trait for enhancing wheat yield. This discovery provides an exciting route to develop cost-effective hybrid wheat.”
Feeding the Future Without More Land
That’s important because wheat is one of the world’s staple crops, feeding billions of people every day. As global demand for wheat continues to rise, climate change, limited farmland, and population growth make it increasingly difficult to increase production using traditional methods. This discovery could give breeders a powerful new tool to boost yields without needing more land, water, or fertilizer.
The discovery of WUS-D1 could also lead to the development of similar multi-ovary varieties of other grain crops.
Reference: “WUSCHEL-D1 upregulation enhances grain number by inducing formation of multiovary-producing florets in wheat” by Adam Schoen, Guilherme V. Yoshikawa, Parva Kumar Sharma, Alex Mahlandt, Yi Chen, Huajin Sheng, Leon Kochian, Peng Gao, Daoquan Xiang, Teagen D. Quilichini, Prakash Venglat, Sheng Wang, Inderjit Singh Yadav, Robert Sablowski, Yuqi Wang, Peng Zhang, Annabel Whibley, Amy Hill, Yong Gu, Daniel Rodriguez-Leal, Weifeng Luo, Yiping Qi, Nathan Meier, Anmol Kajla, Matthew Willman, Gina Brown-Guedira, Sheron A Simpson, Ramey C. Youngblood, Amanda Hulse-Kemp, Angus Murphy, Bikram Gill, Cristobal Uauy, Raju Datla, Nidhi Rawat, Scott A. Boden and Vijay Tiwari, 14 October 2025, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2510889122
In addition to Dr. Tiwari, other authors of this paper from the University of Maryland Department of Plant Sciences include lead author and faculty assistant Adam Schoen, Professor Yiping Qi, Professor Emeritus Angus Murphy, Associate Professor Nidhi Rawat, Assistant Professor Daniel Rodriguez-Leal, Assistant Research Scientist Weifeng Luo, PhD student Anmol Kajla, Post Doctoral Associate Parva Kumar Sharma, and Alex Mahlandt (a former MS student from Tiwari lab).
This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Awards 13716674 and 13368004), the Australian Research Council (FT210100810), the Royal Society (UF150081), and the Yitpi Foundation. The views expressed in this story do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations.
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