The first successful decoding of the wheat genome structure

An international team of scientists has for the first time successfully deciphered the wheat genome, paving the way for the study of measures to improve plant varieties, improve the yield and disease resistance of this food crop. .

According to the study published in the American Journal of Science published on July 17, more than 400 scientists from 57 countries around the world have analyzed the genetic structure of wheat varieties " Chinese Spring " ( Chinese Spring ) . This type of wheat is grown in the laboratory for scientific research purposes.

Farmers harvest wheat at a farm near Nantes, France.(Source: AFP)

This type of wheat has a total of 124,000 genes, most of which are related to plant quality, disease resistance and resistance to harsh farming conditions .

Professor Eduard Akhunov, Kansas State University agricultural expert, said the wheat genome is five times larger than the human genome. So decoding wheat gene is really a big challenge for the scientific community.

The successful decoding of the genetic structure of "Chinese Spring" by the scientists is considered an important step, helping to find useful measures for the agricultural sector in the future, contributing to mitigating challenges. global food security due to increased world population and climate change.

Wheat, also known as microchip, is an important food crop, accounting for 30% of global cereal production, after corn and rice. Wheat grain is used to make wheat flour in the production of bread, pasta . or fermented to produce beer, wine .

However, wheat production worldwide has decreased significantly in recent years, mainly due to dry and hot weather conditions. Experts say that it is necessary to increase 70% of wheat production to meet today's increasing demand.