Genetic Diversity and Climate Change Adaptation in Wheat: A Systematic Review of Landraces, Composite Cross Populations, and Evolutionary Populations

Kadupe Olanike Babalola^1*Nadia Monacelli²Marco Gozzi¹Salvatore Ceccarelli³Silvia Folloni⁴Gianni Galaverna¹

• ¹Department of Food and Drug Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
• ²Department of Economics and Business Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
• ³Independent consultant, Ascoli Piceno, Italy
• ⁴Open Fields Srl, Parma, Italy

Climate change poses significant threats to global agriculture, particularly impacting cereal crops like wheat. Wheat landraces, Composite Cross Populations (CCPs), and Evolutionary populations (EPs), developed through evolutionary plant breeding (EPB) approaches, have emerged as promising resources for enhancing crop resilience under changing environmental conditions. Despite growing research interest, a recent comprehensive synthesis of the adaptation capacity of wheat landraces, CCPs, and EPs, to climate change is lacking. This systematic review analyzes the objectives, justifications, and findings of studies investigating wheat landraces, CCPs, and EPs, concerning climate change. It contributes to climate-smart food systems by highlighting how these diverse genetic resources promote resilience, yield stability, and adaptability, particularly in low-input and organic systems. Following the PRISMA guidelines, an extensive literature search was conducted across various databases, including Web of Science, through July 2024. Studies were included if they addressed wheat EPs, CCPs, or landraces in the context of climate change adaptation. Quality assessment was performed using a modified Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool, and descriptive synthesis was conducted. Out of 325 initial records, 13 studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings indicate that wheat landraces, CCPs, and EPs, exhibit superior adaptability to biotic and abiotic stresses compared to modern varieties, particularly under organic and low-input systems. EPs demonstrated higher yield stability and disease resistance, while landraces offered greater drought tolerance and nutritional quality. Research predominantly originated from Europe, revealing a geographic bias. Key gaps include limited studies in diverse agroecological zones, minimal focus on farmer adoption, and underexplored post-harvest traits. Wheat landraces, CCPs, and EPs, represent vital genetic resources for breeding climate-resilient varieties. Scaling up their use requires broader geographical research, farmer engagement, and value chain integration. Promoting the adoption of populations of wheat could enhance food security and agricultural sustainability under future climate scenarios.