Review: Perspective on wheat yield and quality with reduced N supply (TIPS)

Wheat production demands huge inputs of nitrogen as fertilizer, with accompanying financial and environmental costs. Zorb et al. discuss several strategies by which to maintain wheat yields and wheat quality while decreasing N use and wastage. Some of these are agronomic, such as ensuring that the N applications occur at times that are optimal for uptake and mobilization to the grain; N assimilation and reallocation efficiencies differ with developmental stage. Other approaches involve genetic strategies, focusing on varieties that maintain grain qualities even with less N application. The authors observe that of the different proteins that accumulate in the grain, only some have a role in the bread dough qualites of elasticity and viscosity. At least for animal food, it should be possible to decrease N inputs by eliminating or lowering the amounts of these non-bread-related proteins. (Summary by Mary Williams) Trends Plant Sci. 10.1016/j.tplants.2018.08.012