Supporting Future Wheat Improvement Underpinned By Novel Genetic Diversity For Root Traits

小麦（Triticum aestivum）是英国最重要的作物，确保其高效生产是全球粮食安全的基础。虽然小麦根系是整个植物结构和作物性能的关键组成部分，但由于研究地下结构固有的复杂性，对其调控的遗传和基因调控途径知之甚少。该博士学位的目的是发展与根系结构相关的知识，这些知识可以直接选择，并对有效的作物性能，养分吸收和与农业环境的相互作用产生影响，特别是朝着可持续农业模式努力。最近小麦种质、遗传和基因组资源的开发（Adamski等人，2020,eLIFE, 9:e55646），结合根系表型分型方案的进展（Ober, Alahmad， Cockram等人，2021,theory appgenet, 134:1645-62），为解决这一知识差距的基础和应用组成部分提供了强大的工具。利用这些资源，在遗传、基因网络和生理水平上研究根系构型性状的调控及其对植物生产性能的影响。研究将围绕以下假设展开：1)小麦根系极端表型将为理解控制根系构型的基因和基因调控网络提供切入点。2)根构型遗传变异的新来源将易于利用小麦种质进行遗传分析，并结合小麦近缘种的基因组区域。

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) is the UK's most important crop, and ensuring its efficient production underpins food security around the world. While the wheat root system is a key component of overall plant architecture and crop performance, due to the inherent complications in studying below ground structures, relatively little is known about the genetic and gene regulatory pathways that modulate it. The aim of this PhD is to develop knowledge related to root system architectures that could be directly selected for and their effect on efficient crop performance, nutrient uptake and interaction with agricultural environment, in particular working towards a sustainable agricultural model. Recent wheat germplasm, genetic and genomic resource development (Adamski et al. 2020, eLIFE, 9:e55646), combined with advances in root phenotyping protocols (Ober, Alahmad, Cockram, et al. 2021, Theor Appl Genet, 134:1645-62), provide powerful tools with which to address fundamental and applied components of this knowledge gap. This studentship will exploit such resources to investigate, at the genetic, gene network and physiological level, the control of root system architecture traits and their impact on plant performance. Research will focus around the following hypotheses:1) Extreme wheat root phenotypes will provide entry points to understanding the genes and gene regulatory networks that control root architecture.2) Novel sources of genetic variation for root architecture will be tractable for genetic analysis using wheat germplasm that incorporates genomic regions from wheat relatives.