Wheat: High Consumption and Unfulfilled Production

Global wheat production is expected to be negatively impacted by climate variability and change. In the meantime, the global demand for wheat is expected to increase by 26% by the mid-century to feed the growing population, which will require an annual increase of global wheat production by 2%. Thus, wheat yield performance must be improved to ensure food security for a growing human population amid production constraints due to diminishing resources, land loss and climate change. In this chapter, we discussed two approaches to face the shortage in wheat production and fulfil the existed demand worldwide. Breading for more resilient wheat cultivars to face biotic (viruses, fungi, and insects) and abiotic (heat, drought and salinity) stresses, as well as sustainably increase wheat production are the two suggested approaches to globally reduce wheat production-consumption gap. Globally, breeding programs for resilient wheat cultivars have been implemented and identified genetic resistance against biotic stress in wheat. Furthermore, breeding efforts have been successful to develop resilient wheat cultivars through studying genetic mechanism caused by abiotic stresses and modifying it to develop resistant cultivars. Breeding for improved root system of wheat was also done to improve water and nutrients uptake. With respect to the second approach, namely sustainably increase wheat production, increasing nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) use efficiency should be implemented, as well as reducing the reliance on chemical fertilizer by application of organic fertilizer, wheat rotating with legume crops, and implementing wheat intercropping system with legume crops were also reviewed. Moreover, increasing water use efficiency and water productivity can also conducted to sustainably increase wheat production through improving cultivation method and using more efficient irrigation system. Inclusion of legume crops in wheat-based cropping can lead to increase water use efficiency and water productivity. These practices will increase wheat production and, in the meantime, it will achieve the sustainable use of soil and water resources.