CIC Content

Why It Matters South Africa’s wheat industry faces the dual challenge of ensuring high-quality grain while improving yield to enhance national self-sufficiency. Historically, breeding efforts have emphasized quality at the expense of productivity, leaving yield gains stagnant. The Wheat Breeding Platform (WBP) at Stellenbosch University responds to this challenge by focusing on pre-breeding – introducing

Why It Matters Pre-harvest sprouting in wheat causes serious financial and quality losses when rain triggers germination before harvest. This problem is common in the Eastern Free State, Eastern Cape and Southern Cape where rainfall often coincides with harvest. The project matters because it helps identify and promote wheat cultivars that are more tolerant to