---
title: UMD Researchers Sequence Genome of World’s First Farmed Crop
date: 2023-08-02T15:45:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/umd-researchers-sequence-genome-of-worlds-first-farmed-crop"
section: Articles
---
# UMD Researchers Sequence Genome of World’s First Farmed Crop

*August 2, 2023* — by [Kimbra Cutlip](/author/kimbra-cutlip)


> Ancient Wheat Could Safeguard Global Food Supply by Boosting Drought, Disease Resistance of Modern Strains

*I Stock 1562969145 1920x1080 — UMD researchers are seeking to breed increased disease and pest resistance into modern wheat using a smaller, ancient form of the grain (below, right).*

An international team of researchers led by University of Maryland scientists has sequenced the complete genome for einkorn wheat—the world’s first domesticated crop—and traced its evolutionary history, a breakthrough that will help identify genetic traits like tolerance to diseases, drought and heat, and reintroduce those traits to modern bread wheat.

This major step to protect the world’s food supply from climate change and the increasingly severe weather expected in coming years [was published ](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06389-7)today in the journal *Nature.*

“The most exciting thing about having this genome sequenced is that einkorn is truly a model species that we can use for research, not only as a reference for bread wheat, but other small grains like rye, barley, oats,” said Adam Schoen, a co-first author of the paper and a Ph.D. student working under professor Vijay Tiwari in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture.

Einkorn was farmed as early as 12,000 years ago, but as agriculture spread around the world, people replaced it with bread wheat, which they selectively cultivated for traits like large grain size and easy threshing. Over centuries of intensive cultivation and selection, bread wheat lost its natural resistance to drought, heat and pests—properties that would make it resilient to current threats from climate change.


*hand holds two wheat stalks*




**Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research)


**Tags:** [Plant Science and Landscape Architecture](https://today.umd.edu/topic/plant-science-and-landscape-architecture), [Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/research)


**Units:** [College of Agriculture and Natural Resources](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-agriculture-and-natural-resources)