Project name: Evaluation of physiological and agro-morphological traits in hybrid wheat

Acronym: Hybrowheat

Project ID: IP-2025-02-6559

Project duration: 5th December 2025 – 4th December 2028

Project leader: Valentina Španić, PhD

Total amount of project funding: 175.520,00 EUR

Summary: According to population growth, the wheat genetic gain should be increased. One of the solutions is the production of wheat hybrid varieties that should have increased yield and improved grain quality. Prior to project, parental lines according to pollination ability and floral biology, heading date, flowering date, and plant height were selected to obtain synchrony between maternal and paternal components. In the current project, newly formed hybrids will be tested for agronomical and quality traits at two different locations together with heterosis, and general and specific combining abilities of parents. As hybrids should have competitive advantage, compared to varietal wheat under stress, simultaneously, investigated hybrids will be tested in the greenhouse under non-lethal drought stress during anthesis and under Fusarium head blight stress. Further, the role of crosstalk between antioxidative metabolism, chlorophyll a flouroscence, stomatal conductance, abscisic and salicylic acid signaling in regulating stress response with emphasis on drought tolerance should be elucidated between hybrids and their parental lines. In stress induced by Fusarium head blight, the molecular response associated with abscisic and salicylic acid signalling will be also examined. One of the general aims of this project is to test hybrids abilities that will speed up stress tolerance due to novel technologies and methods, as classical procedure for obtaining wheat varieties is lasting 10-12 years. Hybrids would ensure the requirements for increased grain yield in shorter period. During project, dissemination of the results will be fullfiled through 7 conferences, by publication at least 2 scientific papers indexed in WoS, by organizing a workshop at the Osijek Agricultural Institute, and organization of a research workshop for team members with the invitation of a foreign researcher and the training of one team member. The project leader, Valentina Španić, PhD, and senior research assistants and project collaborators, Katarina Šunić Budimir, PhD, and Jurica Duvnjak, PhD, attended the 4th International Wheat Congress, held from May 25 to May 29 in Bologna, Italy, as part of the project activities.

 

More about the project: https://www.croris.hr/projekti/projekt/17823