Yerlan Turuspekov, Academician: The era of genomics has begun.
At 91传媒 Kazakh National University, a series of open lectures by the country’s leading scientists was launched to mark Science Day. As part of Science Week, held from March 30 to April 3, 2026, a distinguished scholar—Candidate of Biological Sciences, Professor, and Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Yerlan Kenesbekovich Turuspekov—delivered a lecture to faculty members, doctoral students, and undergraduates.
The invited speaker was introduced by the Director of the Department of Science, Kuanysh Tastambek, who highlighted the scientist’s achievements. Yerlan Turuspekov is the Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics at the Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology. He is the author of more than 180 scientific publications and a recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the “Qurmet” Order, the state award “Best Researcher,” as well as international fellowships such as Fulbright (USA) and STA (Japan). His work includes the development and regional adaptation of crop varieties—wheat (“Zarina,” “Tatyana”), barley (“Shakhristan”), and soybean (“Zara,” “Danelia”)—which have already been successfully approved for use in Kazakhstan.
The lecture titled “The Role of Plant Genomics in Modern Crop Breeding Using Wheat and Barley as Examples, or How Genomic Tools and Technologies Are Transforming Practical Breeding” generated strong interest within the academic community. The professor explained that the choice of topic was directly linked to food security and modern agricultural technologies.
— “We are now living in the era of genomics, and it is developing rapidly in agriculture. Speaking of challenges in agriculture, we must first mention climate change, which leads to soil degradation and increases the intensity of adverse factors such as drought, frost, and salinity”,- emphasized Yerlan Turuspekov. “Kazakhstan has many geographical zones, and this determines the specifics of growing wheat and barley. Each zone requires a specific breeding program. Factors such as population growth and wars (for example, the current conflict in the Middle East) place significant pressure on agriculture. Therefore, we must focus on resources, standards, and technologies that can help overcome these challenges. Genomics serves as a key tool that accelerates the development of new crop varieties”.
In his lecture, the scientist 锌芯写褉芯斜薪芯 addressed agricultural challenges, wheat and barley production in Kazakhstan, and the limitations of classical genetics. He justified the need to integrate genomics with traditional breeding and highlighted approaches such as marker-assisted selection and genome-wide association analysis. According to the professor, integrating fundamental knowledge of molecular genetics into the real production sector is essential for ensuring national food security.
Speaking about wheat and barley, he noted that these are the two main crops of Kazakhstan. Around 13 million hectares are devoted to wheat and more than 2 million hectares to barley, out of a total cultivated area of 24 million hectares. About 80% of wheat is grown in the northern and northeastern regions, with additional winter wheat production in the southeast. From 2010 to 2023, the cultivated area has remained largely unchanged despite diversification policies by the Ministry of Agriculture. This stability indicates that farmers continue to trust wheat as a profitable and reliable crop, even though the cultivation of legumes and industrial crops has increased.
However, productivity remains relatively low, averaging about one ton per hectare. Compared to other countries, Kazakhstan’s yield is among the lowest. Neighboring countries such as China and Russia are steadily increasing productivity. For example, New Zealand produces up to 10 tons per hectare on limited land, while large producers such as China, India, the European Union, the United States, and Russia cultivate vast areas, mainly focusing on winter wheat. In contrast, Kazakhstan and Australia primarily grow spring wheat. Australia has already reached yields of about three tons per hectare, largely due to the active use of modern technologies, including genomics.
Despite current productivity levels, Kazakhstan has a strong history in crop breeding. Hundreds of breeders have developed successful wheat varieties such as “Kazakhstanskaya-4” and “Kazakhstanskaya-126”, which are still widely used. However, developing a new variety is a long and costly process, typically taking around ten years and requiring significant investment and effort from research teams.
The analysis of yield traits is particularly complex because they are controlled by many genes. Studying one factor often leads to the emergence of others, which complicates research—especially in the case of wheat yield. In addition, environmental factors play a major role. In Kazakhstan’s conditions of high-risk agriculture, drought is common, with one or two out of every three years characterized by hot summers that negatively affect crops. These conditions force regions to adapt, making agricultural production a complex and multifaceted process.
To address these challenges, it is necessary to use modern technologies, particularly genetic and genomic methods that are actively developing today.
When discussing the genetics of wheat and barley, it is important to understand that barley is a true diploid plant with 14 chromosomes (2n = 14). Its genome is about 5 Gb in size and largely consists of repetitive elements. The standard chromosome set of bread wheat is x = 7; in hexaploid varieties, the number of chromosomes is 6n = 42. The genome sizes differ significantly—wheat’s genome is more than five times larger than the human genome. This makes its genetics extremely complex, largely due to the abundance of repetitive sequences, which complicate genome assembly and the identification of functional genes.
Working with yield traits is particularly challenging because they are controlled by many genes. Unlike qualitative traits (controlled by a single gene), yield depends on hundreds of genes, each contributing a small effect. This reflects a complex polygenic system in which quantitative traits are governed by multiple interacting loci. A locus is a fixed position of a gene or marker on a chromosome. The main task is to identify these loci and understand how they can help control important traits such as yield components, grain quality, and resistance to stress factors like drought and diseases.
In the field of durum wheat genetics, active research is underway. Specialists—breeders engaged in classical selection—study phenotypes and the interaction between genotype and environment. With the development of genomic and digital technologies, genomic selection is now being introduced. This makes the work more practical and predictable. By analyzing large datasets, researchers can determine which genotypes will perform best in different regions, ensuring higher yields and better quality.
Considering the material used in this work, two types of populations are involved: training and breeding populations. The training population includes the greatest diversity within a species and contains a large number of significant genes and their variants, allowing for the most effective use of genetic resources. The breeding population serves as a practical resource for breeders, applied under specific conditions while also interacting with global germplasm collections.
Speaking about integration, Yerlan Kenesbekovich Turuspekov noted that a national public association—the Kazakhstan Society of Geneticists and Breeders—has recently been established. It includes four sections: human genetics, animal genetics and breeding, plant genetics and breeding, and microbial genetics and breeding. Among the founders are Ainur Akezhanova from Nazarbayev University, Bakytzhan Bekmanov from the Institute of Genetics and Physiology, and Aydyn Kydyrmanov from the Scientific Center of Cardiology and Virology. An organizational conference was held last year at Nazarbayev University, and the first official conference is planned to take place in the city of Semey this year. Currently, a flagship program on wheat genetics and breeding is being developed within the Academy of Sciences, with genomics as one of its key 薪邪锌褉邪胁谢械薪懈褟.
In conclusion, the professor noted that it is impossible to cover all aspects of genomics in a single lecture, but emphasized that it is a highly important and 锌械褉褋锌械泻褌懈胁薪芯械 薪邪锌褉邪胁谢械薪懈械, especially for Kazakhstan. Genomics does not replace traditional breeding; rather, breeders must adapt to new realities. Universities, in turn, should train specialists with a broad range of knowledge in genomics, phenomics, statistics, and related fields in order to meet modern standards.
At the end of the lecture, Yerlan Turuspekov answered all questions from the audience in detail. His presentation at the 91传媒 Library became an important event of Science Week, aimed at passing on valuable experience to the younger generation of researchers and strengthening the image of Kazakhstan’s science.
Kairzhan TUREZHANOV
