BNI-Wheat Future: towards reducing global nitrogen use in wheat

Overall aim: high-precision understanding of the agronomic and N performance of BNI-Wheat, confounding and geographic factors, and development of comprehensive and globally relevant and available genetic stocks. Overall research hypothesis: BNI-Wheat is a means to deliver improved, environmentally, and genetically stable plant and crop N use modification applicable across N levels, target geographies and genetic backgrounds for global wheat improvement. Main activities: (1) To expand the testing of the existing BNI-Wheat lines in multiple field experiments reflecting different nitrogen fertilizer regimes and soil pH levels to precisely assessagronomic performance and field N balance under major known confounding factors (N input and soil pH).(2) To conduct multi-location international testing of existing BNI-Wheat lines at five global locations to understand the broad agronomic, N balance and product quality performance of BNI-Wheat across major target regions. (3) To further develop precise genetic stocks of BNI-Wheat in additional elite genetic backgrounds and multiply and distribute the material to research and downstream partners around the world.