Can genetic diversity increase reliability of wheat crops?

Employing high genetic diversity within a crop is one way in which arable production can buffer against increased variability of weather patterns due to climate change.  The potential of this approach to combat variability has been demonstrated, by the Organic Research Centre, in field trials where genetically diverse wheat populations have shown high ield stability across years.


Climate change means our weather patterns are becoming more changeable and less predicatable.  How can arable farmers respond to such challenge?  One possibility is to develop crops that can persorm reliably under more variable environmental conditions: crops with high stability and returning relatively reliable high yields.

The Organic Research Centre has been exploring the potential of winter wheat varieties grrown not only as monocultures, but also crossed with each other. The offspring from these crosses has then been re-sown in the field, producing a composite cross population in which it is probable that every wheat plant is genetically different from any other plant.

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