Cover story

The intensity of selection, inadvertent pathways of domestication, and the influence of climate change collectively amplify the frequency of detrimental alleles. This phenomenon, in turn, triggers genetic drift, leading to an inadvertent decline in the diversity of plant genetic resources. Genetic variability is of utmost importance for a species’ adaptability and overall fitness. Our investigation centres on Triticum germplasm within the agroclimatic conditions of the Suceava Gene Bank and the Ezareni farm of Iasi University of Life Sciences, Romania, encompassing 2021 – 2022 trials. Comprehensive morphophysiological characterisation was conducted across 200 cultivated varieties, spanning three Triticum species (T. aestivumT. turgidum and T. monococcum) (see page 289).