U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists working as
part of an international team have completed a "shotgun sequencing"
of the wheat genome, a paper published in the journal Nature reported today.
The achievement is expected to increase wheat yields, help feed the world and
speed up development of wheat varieties with enhanced nutritional value.
"By unlocking the genetic secrets of wheat, this study
and others like it give us the molecular tools necessary to improve wheat
traits and allow our farmers to produce yields sufficient to feed growing
populations in the United States and overseas," said Catherine Woteki,
USDA's Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics.
"Genetics provides us with important methods that not only increase
yields, but also address the ever-changing threats agriculture faces from
natural pests, crop diseases and changing climates."