Research Progress on Germplasm Innovation and Comprehensive Utilization of Forage Triticale

Resource scarcity and food security challenges are intensifying, making the development and utilization of suboptimal agricultural areas (marginal lands) a critical strategy for ensuring global food supply. As the first artificially created allopolyploid crop, dwarfed triticale combines wheat's high yield and quality with rye's robust stress tolerance, demonstrating unique advantages in marginal land agriculture. This paper systematically reviews research progress on triticale's genetic evolution, germplasm resources, stress resistance mechanisms, and industrial applications. It focuses on evaluating the strengths and limitations of hexaploid triticale breeding strategies, aiming to provide theoretical guidance for unlocking its potential in ecological restoration, forage security, and functional food development. Employing bibliometric analysis and systematic review methodologies, we comprehensively retrieved and integrated domestic and international triticale-related studies. From the genetic evolution perspective, it traces the historical trajectory and driving factors behind the shift in breeding focus from octoploid to hexaploid triticale. From a resource conservation perspective, it summarizes the global status of germplasm collection and the preservation strategy of "low temperature and humidity + periodic renewal"; from a physiological mechanism perspective, it analyzes signal transduction and molecular regulatory networks under saline-alkali and drought stress; from an industrial application perspective, it evaluates the research achievements in forage rotation, ecological restoration, and processing utilization; and it compares the research progress of traditional phenotypic selection with modern molecular breeding techniques. Current research indicates: (1) Genetic Evolution: Breeding strategies for triticale have achieved a fundamental shift from cytologically unstable octoploids to genetically stable hexaploids (e.g., CIMMYT's "Armadillo" line). However, narrow genetic backgrounds and the absence of superior traits from wheat's D genome remain major bottlenecks.(2) Stress Resistance Mechanisms: Triticale exhibits exceptional adaptability to marginal lands. Its salt tolerance relies on root organic acid secretion for Na⁺ chelation and a "root > stem > leaf" ion compartmentalization strategy, while drought resistance is achieved through accumulation of osmotic regulatory compounds and maintenance of photosystem Ⅱ(PSⅡ) activity; (3) Industrial Applications: The "silage maize-forage triticale" relay cropping system achieves a Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) exceeding 1.35, effectively alleviating seasonal forage shortages. It also holds promising prospects for saline-alkali land remediation and the development of high-dietary-fiber functional foods; (4) Breeding Technology: Research paradigms are transitioning from traditional phenotypic selection to "molecular design + high-throughput phenotyping." SSR marker-based and GWAS-driven identification of stress-resistant QTLs has become a hotspot. The successful development of triticale confirms that introducing the foreign R genome is an effective approach to push crop stress tolerance beyond conventional limits. Future research should establish an innovative strategy of "learning from wheat to enhance rye": Leverage hexaploid wheat pangenome information to decipher the genetic basis of complex traits in triticale. Employ chromosome engineering to precisely introduce superior genes from wheat's D genome-such as those controlling gluten strength and dwarfism-to create "recombinant" germplasm combining stress tolerance with high quality. Simultaneously, establish a dual industrial structure integrating "grain-forage dual-purpose" and "ecological restoration" to fully realize its strategic value within resilient agricultural systems.