Breeding for Resilient Cereals: Integrating Molecular Networks and Trait-Based Selection to Improve Nitrogen and Water Use Efficiency

Breeding for Resilient Cereals: Integrating Molecular Networks and Trait-Based Selection to Improve Nitrogen and Water Use Efficiency | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 27 September 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Breeding for Resilient Cereals: Integrating Molecular Networks and Trait-Based Selection to Improve Nitrogen and Water Use Efficiency Authors : Grace Achieng Ochieng 0009-0006-1693-4897 , Luc Gujer , S Shalom Christopher 0000-0003-2676-4204 , Annaliese S. Mason , and Agim Ballvora 0000-0003-0949-8311 [email protected] Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175895293.31182223/v1 220 views 156 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Cereal crops are fundamental to global food security, but their production is increasingly challenged by rising demand and the unpredictable impacts of climate change. Among the most limiting and interdependent resources for sustaining yields are nitrogen and water . Improving both nitrogen and water use efficiencies is therefore essential for sustainable agricultural production. This review examines the relationship between nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and water use efficiency (WUE) in cereal crops, highlighting how mechanistic progress in one trait can enhance the other. We provide an overview of the physiological and molecular mechanisms that regulate NUE and WUE and discuss how these pathways are interconnected in cereal crops. By comparing key genes across major cereals, we explore how plants balance water and nitrogen acquisition under simultaneous stress. The review further considers below and above ground plant morphological traits and recent advances in biotechnology, aimed at enhancing both efficiencies. Relevant case studies are presented to illustrate practical approaches that have led to measurable improvements in resource use efficiencies. We synthesize current understanding into an actionable, conceptual framework for breeding resilient cereal cultivars . This includes a cross-tolerance network model and breeding-oriented strategies that integrate physiological, molecular, and morphological insights. In doing so, the review offers a consolidated foundation for developing stress-resilient cereals adapted to water- and nitrogen-limited environments. Supplementary Material File (breeding for resilient cereals_ integrating molecular networks and trait-based selection to improve nitrogen and water use efficiency_pce_2025.docx) Download 2.26 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 27 September 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords cereal crops genomic breeding nitrogen use efficiency signaling stomata water use efficiency Authors Affiliations Grace Achieng Ochieng 0009-0006-1693-4897 Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat Bonn Institut fur Nutzpflanzenwissenschaften und Ressourcenschutz View all articles by this author Luc Gujer Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat Bonn Institut fur Nutzpflanzenwissenschaften und Ressourcenschutz View all articles by this author S Shalom Christopher 0000-0003-2676-4204 Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat Bonn Institut fur Nutzpflanzenwissenschaften und Ressourcenschutz View all articles by this author Annaliese S. Mason Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat Bonn Institut fur Nutzpflanzenwissenschaften und Ressourcenschutz View all articles by this author Agim Ballvora 0000-0003-0949-8311 [email protected] Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat Bonn Institut fur Nutzpflanzenwissenschaften und Ressourcenschutz View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 220 views 156 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Grace Achieng Ochieng, Luc Gujer, S Shalom Christopher, et al. Breeding for Resilient Cereals: Integrating Molecular Networks and Trait-Based Selection to Improve Nitrogen and Water Use Efficiency. Authorea . 27 September 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175895293.31182223/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. 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