Trials to develop long coleoptile genetics

April 26th, 2021

Farm Weekly, Other, 25/04/2021
The development of long coleoptile genetics that allows wheat to access moisture deep in the soil has attracted strong interest from growers looking to maximise yields in a warming and drying climate. The coleoptile is the protective sheath enclosing the emerging shoot and first leaves, and the longer it is, the greater the emergence potential from deeper in the soil. Wheat lines containing the longer coleoptile trait have not yet been commercially released but are being progressed by breeding companies after the identification and development of genetics, particularly by CSIRO.