Breeding wheat for increased winter growth rate

The aim of this project is therefore to improve our understanding of winter growth in wheat, using physiological and genetic techniques to investigate diversity in winter growth rate across a wide range of wheat varieties. Candidate genes that regulate winter growth will be identified using quantitative genetic approaches and investigated to determine their role in controlling wheat development. Field trials will be performed at multiple sites, in order to test the functional relevance of the high/low winter growth rates under different environmental conditions. This is an iCASE project partnered by the KWS-Limagrain-RAGT PhD training consortium. As such, the project draws on a huge range of expertise from the crop breeding industry, and the industrial partners will be integrally involved in the planning and execution of the research, as well as the supervision of the student. The student will also undertake a 3-month placement at KWS Cambridge as part of the project. Overall, this project represents an exceptional opportunity to gain training in fundamental scientific skills, to develop knowledge of crop science and the crop breeding industry, and to contribute to our understanding of crop growth and yield improvement.