2012 Dryland Field Day Abstracts - Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences ...

Part 1. Breeding, Genetic Improvement, and Variety Evaluation Page 21
Part 1. Breeding, Genetic Improvement, and Variety Evaluation
Winter Wheat Breeding and Genetics
A. Carter, G. Shelton, R. Higginbotham, K. Balow, and J. Hansen; Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, WSU
Wheat breeding in the state of Washington has seen many changes over the last three years. Even with these changes, the Winter
Wheat Breeding and Genetics Program at Washington State University remains committed to developing high yielding, disease
resistant, and good end-use quality cultivars to release for production. We have begun using many of the newest tools available to
the wheat breeding community to accomplish this task. These include association mapping efforts, genomic selection, markerassisted
selection, and doubled haploid production. This past year we planted large, diverse sets of germplasm for association
mapping and genomic selection. In 2011 we planted over 3,000 lines that were selected through marker assisted selection efforts.
We also planted 1,200 DH lines with another 3,500 in the greenhouse which will be ready for fall 2012 planting. Many research
projects have been initiated with other breeding and research groups at WSU to seek solutions for various production concerns.
These include drought resistance, stripe rust resistance, nematode resistance, and emergence potential. With the continual
interested in Imazamox resistant wheat in the state, we initiated efforts to develop two-gene resistant lines which are being
evaluated in advanced yield trials. We are thrilled about the new technology we have which will enable us to more effectively and
efficiently breed wheat for the state of Washington. We have some excellent breeding lines in the program and are excited about
their potential for production in the state.
Otto (WA8092) is the most recent soft white winter wheat released from the program and foundation seed will be available for
purchase in the fall of 2012. It is an Eltan/Madsen cross which was backcrossed to Eltan four times. Agronomically, it performs
very similar to Eltan with regard to emergence, plant height, heading date, and test weight. Otto has similar to higher yields than
Eltan especially in the presence of disease pressure to which Otto is resistant. Otto has snow mold and common bunt resistance
similar to that of Eltan. The stripe rust resistance is better than Eltan as it picked up seedling resistance genes from the Madsen
parent. Otto also has resistance to eyespot foot rot, which will benefit many growers in the 12-15” rainfall zones where this
disease is becoming more prevalent.
The hard wheat breeding program is also progressing nicely, with efforts focused on both red and white wheat. Farnum and
Bauermeister account for about 30% of hard red wheat production in Washington. WA8118 and WA8119 are two breeding lines
which will be considered for release in the fall of 2012. Both have good emergence, high yield potential, and good disease
resistance. WA8118 also has the Gpc-B1 gene for high grain protein content. We have entered multiple breeding lines into the
variety testing program in hard wheat backgrounds that have three genes for stripe rust resistance, as well as the Gpc-B1 gene.
We are excited to see the potential of these lines under diverse production regions.
The Western Wheat Quality Laboratory
Craig F. Morris, USDA-ARS, and Brian S. Beecher, WSU
The mission of the USDA-ARS Western Wheat Quality Lab is two fold: conduct milling, baking, and end-use quality evaluations on
wheat breeding lines, and conduct research on wheat grain quality and utilization. Our web site: http://www.wsu.edu/~wwql/
php/index.php provides great access to our research. Our research publications are readily available on our web site.
Our current research projects include grain hardness, puroindolines, waxy wheat, soft durum wheat, polyphenol oxidase (PPO),
arabinoxylans, SDS sedimentation test, and wheat ash. Our recent publications include the characterization of a unique ‘super soft’
kernel trait in wheat, and transfer of soft kernel texture from Triticum aestivum to durum wheat, Triticum turgidum ssp. durum. A
collaborative analysis of wheat endosperm compressive material properties was published in Cereal Chemistry. A study in which
five polyphenol oxidase genes were genetically mapped was published in Theoretical and Applied Genetics. Two studies on total,
water-unextractable, and water-extractable arabinoxylans and oxidative cross-linking in wheat flour mill streams were recently
published in Cereal Chemistry. Other research includes phytochemical composition, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative
activity of whole wheat flour, the molecular characterization and diversity of puroindoline b-2 variants in cultivated and wild
diploid wheat, the prevalence of Puroindoline D1 and Puroindoline b-2 variants in U.S. Pacific Northwest wheat breeding
germplasm pools, and their association with kernel texture, some observations on the granivorous feeding behavior preferences of
the house mouse (Mus musculus L.), and research on the distal portion of the short arm of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)