GLOBAL WHEAT GERMPLASM CONSERVATION AND USE COMMUNITY

The EWG-Germplasm fosters linkages between stakeholders through shared learning, with the goal of advancing the conservation and use of wheat plant genetic resources—ultimately leading to improved wheat for all. 

The Expert Working Group on Global Wheat Germplasm Conservation and Use (EWG-Germplasm) facilitates communication between germplasm collection holders and users, identifies current challenges, provides support for developing and implementing solutions and offers direction to the wheat plant genetic resources community.

As one of the first steps, the EWG Germplasm aims to update the existing Global Wheat Conservation Strategy, including its use dimensions. The EWG will also carry out global assessments, seek out and consolidate technical advice, and offer recommendations for the conservation and use of wheat genetic resources (including that of wild relatives), to provide an updated and holistic Conservation Strategy to the community. 

Our vision is to bring together the entire wheat plant genetic resources community and act as a discussion platform and information hub. In this central role, we will link genebanks, breeders, farmers, researchers, and all others who have an interest in improving wheat.

We welcome you to join us. 

Call for Experts
We need your help to develop this EWG together!

If you work on wheat or are just interested in joining, then please get in touch. Please complete the Application form and send it to wheat(dot)initiative(at)julius-kuehn(dot)de.

Leadership

Chair: Benjamin KILIAN

Co-Chairs: Shivali SHARMA, Peter CIVÁŇ and Hakan ÖZKAN

Presentations from the Germplasm EWG Workshop, during the 5th International Wheat Congress, Bologna, MAY 2026

Former Co-chairs: Thomas Payne, CIMMYT-Mexico and Ahmed Amri, ICARDA-Morocco

Meetings

Previous meetings 

• 24th May 2026, Workshop at the 4th International Wheat Congress, Bolgna, Italy

• Expert Working Group -Germplasm - Virtual Meeting - June 2025 (videos can be found here the link will direct you to YouTube)

• 'XIV International Gluten Workshop, 19-21 June 2023, Madrid, Spain' (Programme here)

• Second Virtual Group Meeting of the members of EWG-Germplasm 2nd March 2023, Programme here

• First Virtual Group Meeting of the members of EWG-Germplasm (15 June 2022 from 1300-1500 hrs (CET) Programme (here)

• July 21, 2019, joint meeting with the Breeding EWG, Saskatoon, Canada

Recent News and Events

• Ancient grains: Variety selection and manual dexterity are the recipe for success

• Germinate: Crop Data at Your Fingertips

• A Wild Way to Boost Wheat Yields

• Selection by Stone

Selected Publications

Books

• Wild Crop Relatives: Genomic and Breeding Resources (Cereals) (paywall)

• Plant genetic resources: A review of current research and future needs (paywall)

• Wheat Improvement Food Security in a Changing Climate (open access)

• Genomic Approaches to Using Diversity for the Adaptation of Modern Varieties of Wheat and Barley to Climate Change (paywall)

• Wheat Evolution and Domestication (open access)

Journal articles

Article highlights

• Li, M., Zhang, H., Xiao, H. et al. A membrane associated tandem kinase from wild emmer wheat confers broad-spectrum resistance to powdery mildew. Nat Commun 15, 3124 (2024).

• King, J., Dreisigacker, S., Reynolds, M., Bandyopadhyay, A., Braun, H.-J., Crespo-Herrera, L., Crossa, J., Govindan, V. et al. Wheat genetic resources have avoided disease pandemics, improved food security, and reduced environmental footprints: A review of historical impacts and future opportunities. Glob Change Biol (2024).

• Pantha, S., Kilian, B., Özkan, H., Zeibig, F., Frei, M. et al. A comparison of drought responses in wild wheat relatives and domesticated wheat grown under irrigated and rainfed field conditions. Field Crops Res 299, 109678 (2024).

Other Resources

Relevant Projects 

• https://cwr.croptrust.org/

• https://bold.croptrust.org/

• https://www.genebanks.org/

• https://www.agent-project.eu/

• https://www.croptrust.org/project/seeds-for-resilience/

• https://www.croptrust.org/project/conservation-strategies/

• https://www.croptrust.org/project/the-templeton-pre-breeding-project/

• https://divseekintl.org/

• https://www.farmerspride.eu/

• http://www.genresbridge.eu/about-us/overview/

Genebank Information Systems 

• https://www.genesys-pgr.org/

• https://www.grin-global.org/

• https://eurisco.ipk-gatersleben.de/apex/f?p=103:1

• https://germinateplatform.github.io/get-germinate/

• https://cropgenebank.sgrp.cgiar.org/index.php/crops-mainmenu-367/wheat-mainmenu-362
  

  Keep watching this space for further updates and resources!

EWG members should meet the following criteria:

• Participate in EWG meetings and ongoing discussions

• Contribute to the activities of the EWG

• Expertise in the following topics (Genebank Management, Cereal crop conservation, Diversity assessment, seed physiology, breeding, pre-breeding, cytogenetic, cereal taxonomist, pathology, physiology, bioinformatics, information systems, end use quality, and in situ conservation)

Casual inquiries are welcome. Please write to: germplasm.chairs@gmail.com