One of the most chronic constraints to crop production is the grain yield reduction near the crop harvest stage by lodging worldwide. This is more prevalent in cereal crops, particularly in wheat and rice. Major factors associated with lodging involve morphological and anatomical traits along with the chemical composition of the stem. These traits have built up the remarkable relationship in wheat and rice genotypes either prone to lodging or displaying lodging resistance. In this review, we have made a comparison of our conceptual perceptions with foregoing published reports and proposed the fundamental controlling techniques that could be practiced to control the devastating effects of lodging stress. The management of lodging stress is, however, reliant on chemical, agronomical, and genetic factors that are reducing the risk of lodging threat in wheat and rice. But, still, there are many questions remain to be answered to elucidate the complex lodging phenomenon, so agronomists, breeders, physiologists, and molecular biologists require further investigation to address this challenging problem.

The AP2/ERF is a large protein family of transcription factors, playing an important role in signal transduction, plant growth, development, and response to various stresses. AP2/ERF super-family is identified and functionalized in a different plant but no comprehensive and systematic analysis in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) has been reported. However, a genome-wide and functional analysis was performed and identified 322 TaAP2/ERF putative genes from the wheat genome. According to the phylogenetic and structural analysis, TaAP2/ERF genes were divided into 12 subfamilies (Ia, Ib, Ic, IIa, IIb, IIc, IIIa, IIIb, IIIc, IVa, IVb, and IVc). Furthermore, conserved motifs and introns/exons analysis revealed may lead to functional divergence within clades. Cis-Acting analysis indicated that many elements were involved in stress-related and plant development. Chromosomal location showed that 320 AP2/ERF genes were distributed among 21 chromosomes and 2 genes were present in a scaffold. Interspecies microsynteny analysis revealed that maximum orthologous between Arabidopsis, rice followed by wheat. Segment duplication events have contributed to the expansion of the AP2/ERF family and made this family larger than rice and Arabidopsis. Additionally, AP2/ERF genes were differentially expressed in wheat seedlings under the stress treatments of heat, salt, and drought, and expression profiles were verified by qRT-PCR. Remarkably, the RNA-seq data exposed that AP2/ERF gene family might play a vital role in stress-related. Taken together, our findings provided useful and helpful information to understand the molecular mechanism and evolution of the AP2/ERF gene family in wheat.

Wheat pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) refers to the germination of seeds directly on the spike due to rainy weather before harvest, which often results in yield reduction, quality deterioration, and seed value loss. In this study, we reviewed the research progress in the quantitative trait loci (QTL) detection and gene excavation related to PHS resistance in wheat. Simultaneously, the identification and creation of germplasm resources and the breeding of wheat with PHS resistance were expounded in this study. Furthermore, we also discussed the prospect of molecular breeding during genetic improvement of PHS-resistant wheat.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating fungal disease that poses a significant threat to wheat production, causing substantial yield losses. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of wheat resistance to FHB is crucial for developing effective disease management strategies. This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms of FHB resistance and the patterns of toxin accumulation in three wheat cultivars, Annong8455, Annong1589, and Sumai3, with different levels of resistance, ranging from low to high respectively, under natural field conditions. Samples were taken at three different grain-filling stages (5, 10, and 15 DPA) for gene expression analysis and phenotypic observation. Results found that toxin concentration was inversely correlated with varietal resistance but not correlated with disease phenotypes, indicating that toxin analysis is a more accurate measure of disease status in wheat ears and grains. Transcriptomic data showed that Sumai3 exhibited a stronger immune response during all stages of grain filling by upregulating genes involved in the active destruction of pathogens and removal of toxins. In contrast, Annong1589 showed a passive prevention of the spread of toxins into cells by the upregulation of genes involved in tyramine biosynthesis at the early stage (5 DPA), which may be involved in cell wall strengthening. Our study demonstrates the complexity of FHB resistance in wheat, with cultivars exhibiting unique and overlapping defense mechanisms, and highlights the importance of considering the temporal and spatial dynamics of gene expression in breeding programs for developing more resistant wheat cultivars.