Thorsten Schnurbusch

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Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research

Flowering plants with indeterminate inflorescences often produce more floral structures than they require. We found that floral primordia initiations in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) are molecularly decoupled from their maturation into grains. While initiation is dominated by flowering-time genes, floral growth is specified by light signaling, chloro...

Leaf and floral tissue degeneration are common features in plants. In cereal crops such as barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), pre-anthesis tip degeneration (PTD) starts with growth arrest of the inflorescence meristem dome, which is followed basipetally by the degeneration of floral primordia and the central axis. Due to its quantitative nature and envir...

Introducing variations in inflorescence architecture, such as the 'Miracle-Wheat' (Triticum turgidum convar. compositum (L.f.) Filat.) with a branching spike, has relevance for enhancing wheat grain yield. However, in the spike-branching genotypes, the increase in spikelet number is generally not translated into grain yield advantage because of red...

• How plants distribute biomass among organs influences resource acquisition, reproduction, and plant-plant interactions and is essential in understanding plant ecology, evolution, and yield production in agriculture. However, the genetic mechanisms regulating allocation responses to the environment are largely unknown. • We studied recombinant lin...

Florets of cereal crops are the basic reproductive organs that produce grains for food or feed. The birth of a floret progresses through meristem initiation and floral organ identity specification and maintenance. During these processes, both endogenous and external cues can trigger a premature floral organ death, leading to reproductive failure. R...

The performance of plant hybrids relative to line breeding types is generally associated with higher yields, better adaptation, and improved yield stability. In bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), however, a broad commercial success for hybrids has not been accomplished until now largely due to the low efficiency of hybrid grain production, which i...

Grasses exhibit a large variety of diverse inflorescence architectures, from complex branched inflorescences in Oryzeae (rice) to simple spike-type inflorescences in Triticeae (e.g. barley, wheat). Inflorescence architecture depends on shape, longevity and determinacy of meristems that direct growth of the main rachis and lateral branches, but how...

Inflorescence architecture and crop productivity are often tightly coupled in our major cereal crops. However, the underlying genetic mechanisms controlling cereal inflorescence development remain poorly understood. Here,we identified recessive alleles of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) HvALOG1 (Arabidopsis thaliana LSH1 and Oryza G1) that produce non-...

Background and aims Vascular patterning is intimately related to plant form and function. Here, using barley (Hordeum vulgare) as a model, we studied the vascular anatomy of the spike-type inflorescence. The main aim of the present work was to clarify the relationship between rachis (spike axis) vasculature and spike size, define vascular dynamics,...

The HD-ZIP class I transcription factor, VRS1 (Vulgare Row-type Spike 1 or Six-rowed Spike 1) or HvHOX1 (Homeobox 1) regulates lateral spikelet fertility in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). It was shown that HvHOX1 has a high expression only in lateral spikelets, while its paralog HvHOX2 was found to be expressed in different plant organs. Yet, the mec...

Vascular plants have segmented body axes with iterative nodes and internodes. Appropriate node initiation and internode elongation are fundamental to plant fitness and crop yield; however, how these events are spatiotemporally coordinated remains elusive. We show that in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), selections during domestication have extended the...

Background and aims: Vascular patterning is intimately related to plant form and function. However, morphological studies on the vascular anatomy of cereal crops, and inflorescences in particular, are scarce despite their importance for grain yield determination. Here, using barley (Hordeum vulgare) as a model, we study the vascular anatomy of the...

This article comments on: Selva C, Yang X, Shirley NJ, Whitford R, Baumann U, Tucker MR. 2023. HvSL1 and HvMADS16 promote stamen identity to restrict multiple ovary formation in barley. Journal of Experimental Botany 74, 5039–5057.

The genetic heritage of wheat (Triticum spp.) crops has been shaped by millions of years of predomestication natural selection, often driven by competition among individuals. However, genetic improvements in yield potential are thought to involve selection towards reduced competitiveness, thus enhancing adaptation to the crop environment. We invest...

Vascular plants segment their body axis with iterative nodes of lateral branches and internodes. Appropriate node initiation and internode elongation are fundamental to plant fitness and crop yield formation; but how they are spatiotemporally coordinated remains elusive. We show that in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), selections under domestication ha...

Introducing variations in inflorescence architecture, such as the ‘Miracle-Wheat’ ( Triticum turgidum convar. compositum (L.f.) Filat.) with a branching spike, has relevance for enhancing wheat grain yield. However, in the spike-branching genotypes, the increase in spikelet number is generally not translated into grain yield advantage because of re...

Sublimation is one of the preferred methods of choice for matrix deposition in high spatial resolution MALDI mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) experiments. However, reproducibility and time are the major concerns for this setup. Here we present a lab-made glass sublimator with significant improvements in fine control of the vacuum with real-tim...

Spikelet abortion is a phenomenon where apical spikelet primordia on an immature spike abort. Regardless of the row-type, both apical and basal spikelet abortion occurs, and their extent decides the number of grain-bearing spikelets retained on the spike—thus, affecting the yield potential of barley. Reducing spikelet abortion, therefore, represent...

Increased salinity is one of the major consequences of climatic changes affecting global crop production. The early stages in the barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) life cycle are considered the most critical phases due to their contributions to final crop yield. Particularly the germination and seedling development are sensitive to numerous environmental...

Key message Spikelet indeterminacy and supernumerary spikelet phenotypes in barley multiflorus2.b mutant show polygenic inheritance. Genetic analysis of multiflorus2.b revealed major QTLs for spikelet determinacy and supernumerary spikelet phenotypes on 2H and 6H chromosomes. Abstract Understanding the genetic basis of yield forming factors in sma...

Grasses are ubiquitous in our daily lives, with gramineous cereal crops such as maize, rice, and wheat constituting a large proportion of our daily staple food intake. Evolutionary forces, especially over the past~20 million years, have shaped grass adaptability, inflorescence architecture, and reproductive success. Here, we provide basic informati...

The potential to increase barley grain yield lies in the indeterminate nature of its inflorescence meristem (IM). The IM produces spikelets, the basic reproductive unit in grasses, which are linked to reproductive success. During early reproductive growth, barley spikes pass through the maximum yield potential—a stage after which no new spikelet ri...

Illuminating the mechanisms of inflorescence architecture of grain crops that feed our world may strengthen the goal towards sustainable agriculture. Lateral spikelet development of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is such an example of a floral architectural trait regulated by VRS1 (Vulgare Row-type Spike 1 or Six-rowed Spike 1, syn. HvHOX1). The mecha...

Gaining knowledge on fundamental interactions of various yield components is crucial to improve the yield potential in small grain cereals. It is well known in barley that increasing the grain number (GN) preponderantly improves their yield potential; however, the yield components determining GN and their association in barley row-types are less ex...

Determining the grain yield potential contributed by grain number is a step towards advancing cereal crops' yield. To achieve this aim, it is pivotal to recognize the maximum yield potential (MYP) of the crop. In barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), the MYP is defined as the maximum spikelet primordia number of a spike. Many barley studies assumed the awn...

Key message Genetic modification of spike architecture is essential for improving wheat yield. Newly identified loci for the ‘Miracle wheat’ phenotype on chromosomes 1AS and 2BS have significant effects on spike traits. Abstract The wheat ( Triticum ssp.) inflorescence, also known as a spike, forms an unbranched inflorescence in which the inflores...

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-021-03792-4

Organ development in plants predominantly occurs postembryonically through combinatorial activity of meristems; therefore, meristem and organ fate are intimately connected. Inflorescence morphogenesis in grasses (Poaceae) is complex and relies on a specialized floral meristem, called spikelet meristem, that gives rise to all other floral organs and...

Understanding the genetic basis of yield forming factors in small grain cereals is of extreme importance, especially in the wake of stagnation of further yield gains in these crops. One such yield forming factor in these cereals is the number of grain-bearing florets produced per spikelet. Wildtype barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) spikelets are determi...

Determining the grain yield potential contributed by grain number is a step towards advancing cereal crops’ yield. To achieve this aim, it is pivotal to recognize the maximum yield potential (MYP) of the crop. In barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.), the MYP is defined as the maximum spikelet primordia number of a spike. Previous barley studies often assum...

Crop domestication and breeding considerably increased productivity over centuries but unconsciously lowered 'selfish plant behavior' or individual plant fitness. Paradoxically, enhancing individual plant fitness is mistakenly equated with crop improvement. Because agriculture relies on community performance, embracing an agroecological genetics an...

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is one of the major grain crops worldwide and considered as a model plant for temperate cereals. One of the barley row-type groups, named intermedium-barley, was used in our previous study where we reported that other genetic loci rather than vrs1 and Int-c could play a role in lateral spikelet development and even in se...

Grasses have varying inflorescence shapes; however, little is known about the genetic mechanisms specifying such shapes among tribes. Here, we identify the grass-specific TCP transcription factor COMPOSITUM 1 (COM1) expressing in inflorescence meristematic boundaries of different grasses. COM1 specifies branch-inhibition in barley (Triticeae) versu...

While continuing our quest towards the identification of the labile (lab) locus in barley, we discovered that the previously assigned map location on the long arm of chromosome 5H was wrong. After reevaluating the map location for the lab locus in previous F2s of the cross between HOR2573 (a carrier of the lab locus) × Morex by the first author of...

Gaining knowledge on intrinsic interactions of various yield components is crucial to improve the yield potential in small grain cereals. It is well known in barley that increasing the grain number (GN) preponderantly improves their yield potential; however, the yield components determining GN and their association in barley row-types are less expl...

Crop domestication and breeding considerably increased productivity over centuries, but simultaneously involved unconscious selection against ‘selfish plant behavior’. Paradoxically, modern-day crop breeding largely enhances individual plant-fitness. As agriculture relies on community performance, embracing an “Agroecological Genetics and Genomics”...

The determination of spike architecture is critical to grain yield in wheat (Triticum aestivum), yet the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we measured 51 traits associated with spike architecture and floral development in 197 wheat accessions with photoperiod sensitive and insensitive alleles. We included five distinct allele comb...

Grasses have varying inflorescence shapes; however, little is known about the genetic mechanisms specifying such shapes among tribes. We identified the grass-specific TCP transcription factor COMPOSITUM 1 (COM1) expressed in inflorescence meristematic boundaries of different grasses. COM1 specifies branch-inhibition in Triticeae (barley) versus bra...

Genetic control of grain yield and phenology was examined in the Excalibur/Kukri doubled haploid mapping population grown in 32 field experiments across the climatic zones of southern Australia, India and north-western Mexico where the wheat crop experiences drought and heat stress. A total of 128 QTL were identified for four traits: grain yield, t...

Enhancing the yield potential and stability of small‐grain cereals, such as wheat (Triticum sp.), rice (Oryza sativa), and barley (Hordeum vulgare), is a priority for global food security. Over the last several decades, plant breeders have increased grain yield mainly by increasing the number of grains produced in each inflorescence. This trait is...

Substantial genetic and physiological efforts were made to understand the causal factors of floral abortion and grain filling problem in wheat. However, the vascular architecture during wheat spikelet development is surprisingly under-researched. We used the branched headt near-isogenic lines, FL-bht-A1-NILs, to visualise the dynamics of spikelet f...

Key message: Modifying morphometric inflorescence traits is important for increasing grain yield in wheat. Mapping revealed nine QTL, including new QTL and a new allele for the q locus, controlling wheat spike morphometric traits. To identify loci controlling spike morphometric traits, namely spike length (SL), internode length (IL), node number p...

Crop yield is determined by the acquisition and allocation of photoassimilates in sink organs. Therefore, genetic modification of sink size is essential for understanding the complex signaling network regulating sink strength and source activities. Sink size in wheat depends on the number of spikelets per spike, floret/grain number per spikelet as...

Grass species display a wide array of inflorescences ranging from highly branched compound/panicle inflorescences to unbranched spike inflorescences. The unbranched spike is a characteristic feature of the species of tribe Triticeae, including economically important crops, such as wheat and barley. In this review, we describe two important developm...

Among the approx. 30 genera and 360 species belonging to the tribe Triticeae (subfamily Pooideae, family Poaceae), wheat (Triticum ssp.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) are economically the most important temperate cereal crops. On a global scale in 2016, wheat was ranked second (749 million tons) and barley fourth (141 million tons) in terms of wo...

Floret fertility is a key determinant of the number of grains per inflorescence in cereals. During the evolution of wheat (Triticum sp.), floret fertility has increased, such that current bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars set three to five grains per spikelet. However, little is known regarding the genetic basis of floret fertility. The loc...

Figure S1 Genetic population structure determined by principal component analysis with SNP markers.

Figure S2 The ranges for all the developmental traits at the seven stages during the stem elongation phase.

Data S1 The associated SNP markers of plant growth traits and grain yield in field.

Data S2 The allelic variants of Rht‐D1 and Ppd‐D1 on plant growth traits.

Floret fertility is a key trait to determine the number of grains per inflorescence in cereals. During wheat ( Triticum sp.) evolution, floret fertility has been increased and current bread wheat ( T. aestivum L.) produces three to five grains per spikelet; however, little is known about the genetic basis controlling floret fertility. Here we ident...

In wheat (Triticum spp.), modifying inflorescence (spike) morphology can increase grain number and size and thus improve yield. Here, we demonstrated the potential for manipulating and predicting spike morphology, based on 44 traits. In 12 wheat cultivars, we observed that detillering (removal of branches), which alters photosynthate distribution,...

Cultivated barley, Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare, is the fourth most abundantly grown cereal in the world (www.fao.org/faostat) and is long associated with human civilisations. Although most barley grain grown today is destined for animal feed and malting, barley remains an important source of primary calories in many parts of the world. Increasing...

Flowering time is an important factor affecting grain yield in wheat. In this study, we divided reproductive spike development into eight sub‐phases. These sub‐phases have the potential to be delicately manipulated to increase grain yield. We measured 36 traits with regard to sub‐phase durations, determined three grain yield‐related traits in eight...

One of the primary objectives of wheat breeding is to increase grain yield. Floral abortion during the stem elongation phase (SEP) leads to a loss of more than 50% of the grain number potential. In this study, we quantified 75 plant growth‐associated traits at seven stages during the SEP, and mapped 15,696 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marke...

Key message: GWAS analysis for leaf blade area (LA) revealed intriguing genomic regions associated with putatively novel QTL and known plant stature-related phytohormone and sugar-related genes. Despite long-standing studies in the morpho-physiological characters of leaf blade area (LA) in cereal crops, advanced genetic studies to explore its natu...

Floret development is critical for grain setting in wheat (Triticum aestivum), but more than 50% of grain yield potential (based on the maximum number of floret primordia) is lost during the stem elongation phase (SEP, from the terminal spikelet stage to anthesis). Dynamic plant (e.g., leaf area, plant height) and floret (e.g., anther and ovary siz...