Bread wheat is the most extensively cultivated crop worldwide, providing ~20% of calories and protein needs. Hundred years ago, Swiss wheat production was limited to <30% of national needs; and thanks to efforts since then, self-sufficiency more than doubled now. Varieties of Agroscope breeding program represent currently ~80% of wheat cropping area (~80.000 ha).
Climate change and pathogen adaptation prevent further increase in Swiss wheat yield and quality. The WeBreedWheat project aims to implement the wheat breeding 4.0 strategy to create robust, adapted and resilient varieties that meet the evolving needs. It integrates cutting-edge breeding tools like speed generation, double haploids, marker and genomic assisted Back-crossing and selection and precision phenotyping. The yield, yield stability, agronomic traits, adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses and quality-end uses, constitute main breeding objectives.
The project will benefit from various competences at Agroscope and the joint collaboration with Delley Semences Plantes (DSP) to breed resilient Swiss wheat varieties. It constitutes the corner stone of Swiss agriculture transition to more sustainability.