Current status and future perspective of genomics-assisted breeding in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

This review summarizes the current status and future prospects of using genomic information for wheat breeding. Wheat has the largest genome among all major crops (~16 Gb), thus requiring a sophisticated approach to collect and utilize genomic information compared to other crops. In this review, we first describe the conventional methods of marker-assisted selection in wheat breeding. We discuss results from studies using DNA markers, such as those breaking the tight linkage between disease resistance and undesired quality traits. Although marker-assisted selection has achieved some success, breeding efficiency cannot be easily improved using this technique alone because several important traits, such as yield, are governed by a large number of genes. Recently-developed tools for genetic analysis, such as next-generation sequencing, are being increasingly used in wheat research. Therefore, we outline the history and current status of wheat genome resources, including reference genome sequencing, databases, analysis tools, and genotyping platforms. Further, we discuss the prospects for wheat breeding based on these resources. This review highlights the importance of incorporating new technologies to breed wheat varieties with high yield and quality.