Wheat Evolution

Produced by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), these activities help students to practically investigate the process of evolution. Using the context of wheat, students are able to consider its evolution from wild grasses. This can be used to demonstrate the dramatic effect of both natural and artificial selection on the structure of a crop plant and the chemical makeup of the product harvested from it. An obvious change in cultivated wheat has been the reduction in its height since the beginning of the 20th century. By deliberate introduction of a single gene it has been possible to produce semi-dwarf wheats that are more resistant to lodging and produce more grain than older varieties. This dwarfing gene was the basis of the green revolution and helped to double wheat yields, worldwide, in the 1960's and 1970's. There are also a range of simple laboratory tests that can be performed to characterise flour from different types of wheat. These tests look at glutenin content, protein content and dough production. BBSRC is a part of Research Councils UK (RCUK).