Important agronomic characteristics of yielding ability in common buckwheat; ecotype and ecological differentiation, preharvest sprouting resistance, shattering resistance, and lodging resistance

Common buckwheat is recognized as a healthy food because its seed contains large amounts of protein, minerals, and rutin. However, the yielding ability of common buckwheat is lower than that of other major crops. The short growing period, moisture injury, occurrence of sterile seeds due to lack of flower-visiting insects, and yield loss due to lodging and shattering cause low and unstable grain yield. Therefore, many common buckwheat breeders have tried to increase yielding ability by improving various characteristics. Recently, new breeding objectives for improving yielding ability by increasing preharvest sprouting resistance; reducing shattering loss; introducing self-compatibility; the ecotype, and semidwarf have been reported. In this review, we introduce the research on the important agronomic characteristics, preharvest sprouting resistance, ecotype and ecological differentiation, shattering resistance, and lodging resistance in common buckwheat.