Wheat
Image Credit: Courtesy: Vijay Tiwari
A team of researchers at the University of Maryland have identified a gene, WUSCHEL-D1 (WUS-D1), that enables a rare form of wheat to grow three ovaries per flower instead of one—potentially tripling the number of grains produced per plant. Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on October 14, 2025, the study reveals that activating WUS-D1 early in flower development enlarges floral tissues, allowing for extra grain-producing structures. This breakthrough could revolutionize wheat breeding, offering a powerful tool to boost global food production without increasing land or resource use.
