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Marker-based selection for controlling preharvest sprouting due to untimely amylase activity in wheat
Project
Project code: 5405 31/280
Contract period: 01.10.2014
- 30.09.2016
Purpose of research: Applied research
Wheat cultivars for the milling industry have to meet several quality criteria. One of the quality descriptors for wheat is the falling number which is influenced by a-amylase activity at harvest. Low falling numbers can be caused by preharvest sprouting (PHS) inducing an untimely a-amylase activity. Hence, PHS influences trading specifications and, thus, the economical value of wheat. As PHS related traits are quantitatively inherited and dependent on environmental conditions, multi-environmental trials are required to assess PHS and the stability of falling numbers. Recently developed genome-based selection strategies might be advantageous for the labour intensive and time consuming selection on PHS tolerance in wheat breeding populations. Therefore, the goal of this project is the evaluation of marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genomic prediction (GP) strategies for tolerance to preharvest sprouting in unselected material of an advanced breeding population in wheat.
In ongoing projects, several molecular markers were identified to be associated with falling number and PHS tolerance. The application of these markers for MAS in breeding programs needs to be validated in unselected material derived from private breeders. Furthermore, the specificity of these markers in the different gene pools of the private breeders will be examined in this project. To improve the evaluation of markers-based selection strategies, new methods will be implemented to assess the falling number stability with provoking a decrease of falling numbers.
The SME-dominated plant breeding and seed sector in Germany and Austria will be the beneficiaries of AmyCtrl. Project results will contribute to maintain their competitiveness by speeding up the breeding process with new and efficient breeding tools. Nearly all of the transnational SME-User Committee are directly involved in project activities (field trials and data collection) and interact closely with the scientists. This guarantees that project results will gain direct and broad access into the SMEs. AmyCtrl affects not only the plant breeding sector: PHS tolerant wheat provides better quality to the whole value chain from the farmer, millers to the wheat processing industry. This allows enhanced export chances, especially in a market scenario with high supply of minor quality wheat. A predictable quality despite changeable weather conditions during harvest is of great importance for the milling industry. In general, with the view towards natural resources, the preservation of grain quality through genetic resistance treats natural resources with care. PHS means directly the loss of invested production goods.
The plant breeding sector spends a high proportion of the budget in R&D. But the development of new techniques is often not feasible for a single company. The evaluation of PHS and the correlated falling number is labour intensive and time consuming. The breeding companies for small cereals are used to work together in pre-competitive projects, e.g. the search for new disease resistance genes coming from wild relatives. Therefore, the SME-User Committee will assist the dissemination activities such as project meetings, publications and a common website open for the project partners.
Section overview
Subjects
- Crop Production
- Plant Breeding
