Editor-in-Chief Lecture

In its 8000-year history, wheat continues to be the major food grain crop consumed by humans. World wheat production, now averaging nearly 600 million tons annually, is currently maintaining pace with population growth. Production gain for the last half century has been about 1 percent per year, due to the technological advances of more productive cultivars and adoption of improved cultural practices. Future projection is that the annual gain will need to reach near 2.5 percent by the year 2050 to keep abreast of population growth. Iran is one of the most important countries in wheat production, and about 6 million hectares of arable land are dedicated to wheat production annually, and depends on fluctuation the yearly production varies from 7 to 14 million tons. Although land area devoted to wheat worldwide is more than for any other crop, further area expansion is limited. In the other hand biotic and abiotic stresses in different parts of the world, especially in climates like Iran limits wheat yield. Therefore, future production increases must come largely from greater output per unit area, which will require more intensive research for further improving cultivars and enhancing cultural technology. In past decades, many fundamental researches were conducted about wheat diversity, botany, culture, genetics, cytogenetic, physiology, pests and disease, food quality aspects and how to improve its productivity and the volume of human information in this regard are appropriate. Future wheat improvement must emphasize grain yield enhancement and yield stability within interdisciplinary, integrated approaches and in conjunction with farmers. This challenge requires: concerted, complementary efforts to gather a critical mass of scientists and achieve essential operational sizes; sound hypotheses and strategies translated into research objectives; free exchange of germplasm and information; and dynamic cooperation among the global community of scientists. Each one of these requirements must be met to accomplish the common mission of meeting the food needs of the world population and alleviating poverty in developing countries. The aim of “Wheat Research” journal is publish more recent researches regarding wheat crop. It is hoped that agricultural specialists, with our new and applied research, will accompany this goal.