Challenges in Wheat Breeding and Some Possible Solutions.

The area sown to wheat production globally is approximately 220 million hectares. Roughly half of this area is in developing countries.  The world population is increasing and would require 750 million tones of wheat by 2025 and 850 million by year 2050. The investment in wheat breeding, agronomy and seed production must increase significantly to meet the target. The spectacular gains of the first green revolution where easily achieved through improved seed and plenty of water and nutrients. There has been continuing gain in genetic yield advancement through plant breeding at the average rate of 1% per year over a period of thirty years (1970-2000). In recent years this trend has declined. The climatic fluctuations would be significant in coming decades and consequently adaptation to extreme temperatures and prolonged droughts would be highest breeding priorities. Diseases and insects (rusts, septoria, fusarium and aphids) would assume paramount importance. It is this author’s belief  that significant breeding progress can be achieved if sufficient resources are made available to search for paramount genetic resources for enhancing yield potential under adverse conditions of climate fluctuations  and utilized in breeding programs worldwide, irrespective of breeding methodologies (conventional or biotechnological). The proper utilization of these variations lie at the core of breeding progress. Some relevant genetic pools for exploitation are Aegilops squarrosa and spring x winter combinations.