Bread wheat near-isogenic lines were developed by Jessica Schmidt, a recent PhD graduate from the Wheat Hub, and used to target chromosome 6B to investigate mechanisms involved in drought and heat stress tolerance. This research led to the identification of 36 potential candidate genes which may ultimately lead to improved abiotic stress tolerance. The paper, published in PLOS ONE, can be read here.
Wheat plants being grown using the DroughtSpotter, a precision irrigation platform Jessica Schmidt checking wheat plants in the APPF’s DroughtSpotter room