Establishment of the first speed breeding facility in Central Asia: development of an accessible bread wheat (

Introduction: Speed Breeding (SB) has become an essential tool for rapid breeding pipeline. However, the practical implementation of existing wheat ( Methods: The first Central Asian SB facility was established at Zhetysu University named after Iliyas Zhansugurov. For the identification of an effective plant growing substrate, sixteen treatments were developed. The nutrient management of the most suitable potting mix included two steps: i) identification of the importance of Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium (NPK) supplementation, and ii) identification of optimal timing and nutrient dosage. Fertilizers were supplied at 4 different time intervals. Plants were supplemented with a foliar spray of calcium nitrate and copper and were hand-watered once a day. The plant material included seven wheat genotypes. Developmental dynamics and grain yield were evaluated under two, 1.5-and 2.0-meter, light-to-bench distances. A germination test was conducted at different time points after flowering. Results: In this study, we report the establishment of the first SB facility in Central Asia. The developed cost-effective potting mix contained 65% FFPM, 18% perlite, 12% sand, and 7% bio humus per L Discussion: This study findings support sustainable regional and global wheat breeding programs aiming to incorporate the speed breeding technique into their breeding schemes, specifically in underrepresented regions.