Preface

Chapter 8 **Storage Proteins Accumulation and Aggregation in Developing**

Chapter 9 **Mutant Resources of Spring Wheat to Improve Grain Quality**

Omirbekova, Alfia Abekova and Dauren Tashenev

Chapter 10 **Genetic Improvement of Bread Wheat for Stem Rust Resistance in the Central Federal Region of Russia: Results and**

Chapter 11 **Interrelation of Functional Properties of Protein Products from Wheat with the Composition and Physicochemical**

**Characteristics of Their Proteins 205**

Chapter 12 **Wheat Straw Pulping for Paper and Paperboard**

Guigan Fang and Kuizhong Shen

Saule Kenzhebayeva, Gulina Doktyrbay, Fatma Sarsu, Nargul

Inna Lapochkina, Olga Baranova, Nail Gainullin, Michael Kuzmich, Svetlana Polyakova, Petr Polityko, Ramin Mamedov and Sergey

Valentina V. Kolpakova, Nikolay D. Lukin and Irina S. Gaivoronskaya

**Wheat Grains 133**

**VI** Contents

**and Morphology 165**

**Prospects 183**

**Production 223**

Voronov

Aussenac Thierry and Rhazi Larbi

In the coming years, the agricultural sector will face a challenge to feed an increasingly growing human population while simultaneously facing the need to avoid additional defor‐ estation and land degradation. This challenge requires the sustainable intensification of un‐ derperforming agricultural systems that can cope with climate change. With a current production of ~ 700 Mt, wheat is the third largest crop globally and an essential source of calories in human diets. Wheat will remain a crucial component of human nutrition, and increasing its production is therefore an important requirement for food security. Global fer‐ tilizer and pesticide use has increased significantly during the last decades leading to an in‐ crease in wheat yields in many countries. Yet, approximately 70% more wheat could still be produced if the cropland already under cultivation met its current climatic potential, which can mainly be achieved through improved fertilization and irrigation. A large geographic variation in wheat yields across similar climates points to sizeable yield gaps in many na‐ tions and indicates a regionally variable flexibility to increase wheat production. Climate change will alter growing conditions and thus impact future wheat production and manage‐ ment opportunities for sustainable intensification. Wheat is expected to be especially sensi‐ tive to rising temperature since it has been among the crops most affected in an already changing climate. Warming is likely to reduce wheat yields due to a shorter grain filling period caused by a more rapid development. On the other hand, increased growth rates during winter or a shift of the grain filling period into a wetter part of the season may result in rising wheat yields in some regions. In addition, precipitation is expected to become an important driver for crop production in many regions, such as in South and West Asia.

The purpose of the book *Global Wheat Production* is an attempt to present a comprehensive picture of the importance of wheat production globally. The book is designed to cater to the needs of researchers, technologists, policy makers, and undergraduates and postgraduate students studying sustainable crop production and crop protection. Libraries in all universi‐ ties and research establishments where agricultural and agronomical sciences are studied and taught should have multiple copies of this valuable book on their shelves. The book comprises 12 chapters. We are thankful to all authors who contributed their valuable chap‐ ters to this book. We are also extremely grateful to **Ms. Romina Skomersic** (Publishing Proc‐ ess Manager) of InTech for helping us to publish the book in an excellent form in the shortest possible time. We owe our sincere thanks and irreparable gratitude to our families whose consistent encouragement and love have been a tremendous impetus for the comple‐ tion of this book.
