Wheat Genetic Improvement Program

Among plant breeders, there is growing concern about the reduction of genetic variability, a phenomenon known as genetic erosion. This limitation can be mitigated through the creation and maintenance of germplasm banks. Another critical aspect refers to the narrowing of the genetic base of modern cultivars of different species, such as wheat, resulting from the recurrent use of elite lines as parents in genetic improvement programs (Goodman, 1990; Reif et al., 2005).This strategy has widene...