High yield with efficient nutrient use: Opportunities and challenges for wheat

Understanding yield formation and nutrient use are essential for wheat breeding and management. This study combined 76 field trials and literature data with scenario analysis to explore the potential of high yield, nutritional quality, and nutrient efficiency in wheat production in China. Currently, the high yield is achieved with high grain N and S but low Zn concentration, and low N efficiency. To improve the grain yield by 10% in 2035, the grain number needs to increase from 31.8 to 38.5 grain spike(−1), and the harvest index from 46.6% to 48.6%, with a reduction in spike number by 10%, when the grain N, Fe, Zn, and S, the nutrient removal efficiency, and the fertilizer efficiency of N, P, and K could all be increased. Our study provides strategies and ideas for promoting wheat production with high nutritional quality and high nutrient efficiency in China and other countries.