Drought

Abstract Established breeding methods for wheat in dry environments continue to make gains. It will remain the cornerstone for wheat improvement. This Chapter discusses proven methods to make additional gains. It discusses a way to benchmark yield potential in dry environments and how this can be used to determine whether unexpected agronomic or genetic factors are limiting yields. It examines opportunities, advantages and disadvantages of trait-based selection methods for dry environments, and it presents a framework by which important traits can be selected. Both high throughput and marker-based methods of selection are examined for their success and feasibility of use in breeding. It also highlights the importance of agronomic approaches in combination with breeding to continue to improve yield potential in water limited environments. Finally, the elements of success of translation from research to the delivery of new varieties is examined.