Cultivation

Wheat, together with maize and rice is the most widely cultivated cereal in the world. In 2005, ca. 600 million tons of wheat were produced. It is grown on all the continents. Important producing countries are China, India, the USA, Russia, Australia and Argentina.

Utilisation

In particular, soft wheat (Triticum aestivum) is widely grown.

After the harvest the cereal is ground and used in foodstuffs:

• in wheat bread, flour and bakery products

• noodles and pastas (mainly hard wheat, Triticum durum)

• wheat beer

• raw material for starch, bran (dietary fibre)

and as animal feed.

Energy crops and renewable primary products:

• bioethanol, heat production
• starch from wheat grain is used in various industrial processes, e.g. in the paper industry

Gene technology: aims of research and development

Agronomic traits

Weed control

• herbicide tolerance

Resistance against pathogens

• fungal resistance, in particular against infections with fusarium or mildew. Infestation of plants with these fungi can lead to contamination of the wheat products with strong toxins (mycotoxins). Resistance against smut fungi (Ustilaginomycetes; loose smut, stinking smut).

• virus resistance

Adaptation to climate and location factors

• Tolerance to drought, resistance to salinity

Quality traits

Modified composition of components

• Increased content of glutenin in wheat grain to improve the baking characteristics of wheat products. The protein glutenin is a component of gluten and provides the dough consistency in baking.

• Enhanced nutrient content in wheat grain through an increased protein formation: by introducing two genes from broad beans and barley into the wheat, amino acids and sugar form other parts of the plants, such as the leaves is relocated into the seeds. This provides the wheat grains with more starting substances for production of proteins.

Modified composition of health-relevant components such as

• Increased heat stability of the enzyme phytase in wheat, leading to an increased level of phytase in the wheat products that allows for a better uptake of iron and zinc.

• Increased content of water-soluble dietary fibres (e.g. beta-glucan, amylose)
  
  

• Increased lysine content: lysine is an essential amino acid, that often has to be added to animal feed to increase its nutrition value.

Renewable primary products, energy crops

Modified composition of components

• Reduced lignin content and thus a higher yield in bioethanol production

• Wheat with a higher amylopectin content as starch provider for industrial products
   

Production of pharmaceutically active substances

• Molecular pharming: utilisation of gene-modified wheat as a system for producing active pharmaceutical ingredients; until now only experimental research has been undertaken.

Plant development

• Yield increases

Field trials with GM wheat

Utilisation of GM wheat