Effects of genetic improvements on grain yield and agronomic traits of winter wheat in the Yangtze River Basin of China

Wheat is an important food crop worldwide. Genetic improvements have contributed much to wheat production since the 1960s. Verifying the evolution of agronomic traits and the physiological basis of grain yield will facilitate breeders and agronomists in developing new wheat cultivars, with the aim of stable and high yields. Thirty-five wheat cultivars, bred or widely planted in the Yangtze River Basin from 1950 to 2005, were grown in field...