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Scientists Discover a Gene that Could Triple Wheat Production

University of Maryland Researchers Found the Gene Responsible for Rare Variety of Wheat with Three Ovaries

October 14, 2025

Zoomed-in image of the wheat plant showing three grains clustered within each spikelet, where there is ordinarily just one.

University of Maryland researchers discovered the gene that makes a rare form of wheat grow three ovaries per flower instead of one. Since each ovary can potentially develop into a grain of wheat, the gene could help farmers grow much more wheat per acre. Their work was published on October 14, 2025, in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.