Century-old Kurdistan wheat may boost resilience, nutrition in new varieties
Omar Ahmed
As the world’s population continues to rise, so too does the demand for wheat production. However, climate change poses significant challenges to wheat cultivation across many regions of the world. Over time, the diversity and unique characteristics of wheat varieties have been altered primarily for commercial purposes, often resulting in varieties that lack the original health benefits and genetic robustness.
A groundbreaking 10-year study of 100-year-old wheat samples, published in Nature, revealed that modern wheat cultivated globally retains only 40 percent of the genetic material found in ancestral wheat varieties. Researchers discovered that 60 percent of the genes present in the original samples are missing from current wheat. Efforts are underway to reintegrate these vital genes to develop more nutritious and resilient wheat for future generations. Notably, wheat carrying these ancestral genes has already been successfully grown at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, UK.
As the cradle of wheat cultivation, Kurdistan’s unique wheat traits, collected nearly a century ago and preserved alongside samples from 30 other countries, provide essential genetic resources that could be pivotal in developing resilient wheat for future generations.
Between 1920 and 1930, the renowned British botanist Arthur Ernest Watkins assembled a vast collection of native wheat varieties from 32 countries, now known as the Watkins Collection. These samples, valued for their genetic diversity, are regarded as an invaluable resource for ensuring food security amid future agricultural challenges. Scientists worldwide continue to study these samples to uncover traits related to disease resistance, climate resilience, and higher yields.
Kurdistan’s wheat samples, primarily collected from regions within Turkey and Iraq, have garnered special interest. Research shows that today’s wheat originated from three primary types of seeds cultivated in the Middle East around 8,000 years ago, forming a staple of ancient diets.
In Kurdistan: The First Country of the Sumerians, author Hawre Bakhawan presents evidence that the Kurdish people practiced agriculture, including wheat cultivation and irrigation, as far back as 8,000 years ago. Artifacts discovered in the village of Charmo near Chamchamal, in Hazar Mird near Sulaimani, and the Shanidar Cave illustrate the early use of wheat as a food source by the ancient inhabitants of the Kurdistan Region.
Historians and archaeologists widely agree that Kurdistan was a central hub for early agriculture and wheat cultivation. Professor Akira Tsuneki, a Japanese archaeologist from the University of Tsukuba, is currently excavating the ancient village of Charmo. In an interview with Rudaw in May 2023, he described the site as an ancient agricultural village, emphasizing the significance of the artifacts found.
“We are now digging deeper into the site to understand why people began to settle here and practice agriculture,” he explained. “We’ve found structures and tunnels, providing evidence of early agricultural activities.”
In Shanidar Cave, another archaeologist, Dr. Graeme Barker, a professor of archaeology at the University of Cambridge, noted evidence of early grain processing techniques. These findings suggest that ancient inhabitants of this region gathered around fires to cook and share bread—a practice indicative of cultural development.
“One unique discovery was made by examining the soil, where we found remnants of burned plants that they consumed,” Dr. Barker said in an interview with Rudaw in May 2024. “Our findings indicate they controlled fire, collected seeds, made a kind of paste, and cooked using heated stones, suggesting communal meals—a remarkable insight into their way of life.”
Research indicates that Kurdistan’s wheat spread throughout Asia and Africa before eventually reaching Europe. Historical records reveal that the civilization of Mesopotamia, situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, significantly relied on wheat cultivation.
Comparative studies have shown that modern wheat varieties utilize only 40 percent of the genetic diversity found in the Watkins Collection. This remaining diversity represents a treasure trove of potential to enhance modern wheat. According to Dr. Simon Griffiths, group leader at the John Innes Centre and a co-author of the study, “This missing 60% is filled with beneficial genes crucial for sustainably feeding the population. Over the last 10,000 years, our focus has been primarily on traits that increase yield and improve disease resistance.”
“We’ve discovered that the Watkins landraces are rich in useful genetic variation absent in modern wheat, making it imperative to incorporate this diversity into contemporary breeding efforts. The exciting part is that researchers are already identifying genes and traits using data and tools developed over the past decade.”
The Watkins Collection is exceptionally valuable because it dates from a period before wheat cultivation became industrialized, preserving authentic strains that may no longer exist in nature. Dr. Griffiths adds, “Certain genes could enable plant breeders to improve nitrogen use efficiency in wheat. If we can integrate these into modern varieties, farmers could apply less fertilizer, thereby saving costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Fertilizer use in agriculture is costly and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions; reducing it could facilitate a transition towards net-zero agriculture. Enhancing nitrogen use efficiency in crops while decreasing agriculture’s nitrogen footprint is a global challenge.
“It might seem very different from today’s wheat, but these ancient varieties are akin to the ‘grandparents’ of modern wheat,” scientist Rose McNeilly noted. “Understanding this lineage is crucial for the evolution of the wheat we consume daily.”
Additionally, researchers found significantly larger starch content in wild grasses, which could offer nutritional benefits. “This could be particularly beneficial for gut health, as it may digest more slowly and release less glucose into the bloodstream, making it advantageous for conditions such as diabetes,” McNeilly explained.
As Simon Krattinger from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology highlighted, native wheat varieties with genetically diverse traits are essential to meet future demand, projected to increase by 30 to 50 percent by 2050.
Current research indicates that approximately one-fifth of global calorie intake comes from wheat, underscoring the need to restore genetic diversity to ensure food security. As Long Mao, principal investigator at the Institute of Crop Science, stated, “We now have a better understanding of wheat genes and what traits are valuable in different regions.”
Founded in 1910 in Norwich, the John Innes Centre has expanded the Watkins Collection to over 30,000 wheat samples from around the world, making it the largest wheat gene bank globally. This treasure trove of ancient wheat, especially the historic wheat from Kurdistan, is poised to play a critical role in securing a sustainable and resilient future for wheat cultivation worldwide.
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