Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important food crops, feeding about 40 % of the world's population. Genetic improvement in wheat focus on three main areas: enhancing yield, overcoming biotic and abiotic stress and improvement end use quality. Grain size is an important physical indicator of seed quality that affects vegetative growth and is frequently related to yield, market grade factors and harvest efficiency. The grain length, width, and area were associated with a 40% variation in the milling quality of Australian winter wheat cultivars. Grain color is also one of important traits affecting flour yield and quality in wheat. For effective improvement of quality and yield of wheat, a plant breeder must have knowledge of inheritance of quality and agronomic traits.

The book mainly describes the QTL mappings and efficacy analyses that are associated with wheat productivity, quality, physiology and various stress resistances and provides summaries of results from studies conducted both at home and abroad. It presents comparable data and analyses, helping readers to arrive at a more comprehensive understanding of the latest development in this field. The book provides a wealth of novel information, broad range of applications and in-depth findings on crop genetics and molecular breeding, making it valuable not only for plant breeders but also for academic faculties, senior researchers and advanced graduate students who are involved in plant breeding and genetics. Dr. Jichun Tian is a professor at the Department of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, China.