Dissecting the Genetics of Cereal Root System Architecture

Optimising root system architecture (RSA) in cereal crops is a major goal for improving the plants’ capability to access nutrients and water in diverse agricultural production systems. Advances have been made in rice, maize and sorghum, but little is known about the genetic factors determining below-ground plant development in the major cereals wheat and barley.

We report on significant progress to elucidate components of the complex genetic architecture. Our genome-wide association studies for RSA utilised large wheat and barley populations from Australia and Europe, and identified key candidate regions for root growth. Subsequent molecular analyses revealed common targets across datasets, giving first important insights for the customisation of root systems in modern cereal cultivars to improve agricultural productivity in the face of climate change.