Summary
This longitudinal study analysed wheat grain quality from archived samples spanning 166 years (1850–2016), sourced from the Broadbalk Continuous Wheat Experiment in the United Kingdom and herbaria across 16 countries. The analysis revealed a significant decline in mineral and protein content coinciding with an increase in carbohydrates, with the most pronounced shift occurring after the 1960s, coinciding with elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, temperature increases, and the introduction of shorter-straw wheat varieties. The findings suggest that modern breeding and agro-environmental changes may have altered crop physiology in ways that affect nutritional density.
UK applicability
The Broadbalk Experiment is a primary data source for this study, making the findings directly relevant to UK wheat production systems and breeding programmes. The results have implications for UK agricultural policy and plant breeding strategies if nutritional quality maintenance is prioritised alongside yield.
Key measures
Grain carbohydrate content, mineral composition, protein content, yield; temporal trends from 1850–2016
Outcomes reported
The study analysed archived wheat grain samples from 1850–2016 to quantify changes in yield, mineral composition, protein content, and carbohydrate content over time. It documented a marked impoverishment of mineral composition and protein content alongside increased carbohydrate content, particularly after the 1960s.
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