Optimizing wheat development to a range of winter climates

The effects of climate change are highly disruptive for reliable and sustainable crop production as crops have been regionally adapted to respond favourably to a set of regular, combined environmental cues. Notably in wheat, the most widely cultivated crop, the timing of floral meristem transitions and flowering is largely regulated by the combination of photoperiod and temperature cues. Identifying and understanding the key genes that regulate the physiological responses to these combined environmental cues has been important for enabling the optimal development of cultivars. Winter-grown crops are important as they provide ground cover, high biomass, and high yield potential. However, they are critically sensitive to the duration and level of cold season temperatures and the onset of the lengthening spring photoperiod. Therefore, to enable climate-robust cultivars, we need to understand and tailor the crop response to the winter environment; the crop must be resilient enough to survive but flexible enough not to require a standard winter each year. Here we detail the challenges and opportunities that are presented by the changing environmental conditions for the adaptation of winter wheat.