Breeding for Adaptation Traits of Wheat in Eastern European Environments the Hungarian Example

The traditional wheat germplasm that have evolved in Eastern Europe exhibit a unique adaptation type due to the ecological conditions. Bread wheat type developed in this region is a valuable source for wheat breeders worldwide. Wheat improvement in the 20th century was carried out using traditional breeding methods and the consideration of environmental effects played a significant role in the germplasm development. Efficient wheat breeding programme for continental climatic environments will require new breeding efforts, including new strategies in gene bank research, to develop new germplasm in pre-breeding programmes and the application of modern breeding technologies. The complex tasks facing wheat breeders in Eastern Europe include the improvement of stress resistance, especially winter hardiness and tolerance of drought and heat at higher levels of yield potential. New challenge is to close the yield gap in the changing climate. The good bread making quality of Eastern European wheat will only represent an advantage if it is associated with better quality stability.