The project has lasted for 30 years and established a new germplasm production technology for wide cross between wheat and wild relatives. It solved the international problem of using alien genes of A. cristatum for wheat germplasm enhancement. A total of 392 new varieties featuring large spike, high thousand seed weight, broad spectrum resistance and small flag leaf of plant architecture traits were produced. Li's team used the new varieties as breeding parents for new cultivars carrying the alien genes of A. cristatum, which led a new direction of wheat breeding. The research has enhanced China's innovation capacity in wheat germplasm resources and its international influence in this field. It has also significantly increased the country's social and economic benefits.

Representative new germplasms with large spike and high thousand-grain weight traits produced by wide cross between wheat and Agropyron cristatum