Wheat germplasm improvement for South and Southeast Asia
1997
Rajaram, S. | . | Villareal, R.L.(International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (Mexico))
Land devoted to commercial wheat production in 1993-96 was about 220 million hectares worldwide. Approximately 15 percent of this area lies in South and Southeast Asia, in countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, and demand for wheat in this region is projected to increase. In East Asian countries, domestic demand for wheat remains high and is met entirely by imports, requiring substantial foreign exchange. Hence, there is major justification for increasing local wheat production in South and Southeast Asia. This paper summarizes recent developments at CIMMYT in breeding germplasm for nontraditional, warm areas such as those found in South and Southeast Asia. Efforts to increase yield potential, improve tolerance to high temperatures and drought, obtain a high level of helminthosporium leaf blight resistance, and secure durable leaf rust resistance are discussed. Newer genetic variability, such as that contained in synthetic hexaploids based on Triticum turgidum x T. tauschii crosses, appears to be a potent source of genes useful in the tropics. Breeding methodologies used at CIMMYT to develop germplasm for the region are reviewed as well.
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