IWYP Call 2 - Isolation of genetic variation for flowering morphology for hybrid wheat production.

It is predicted that hybrid wheat could lead to yield increases of between 3.5% and 15%. Hybrid wheat production requires that a female plant is pollinated by a genetically different male parent. However, since wheat is an in-breeder it does not have the correct floral morphology required for out-breeding. Furthermore, it is debatable that the genetic variation for the traits required for out-breeding are available in modern day wheat. In this proposal we will identify genetic variation for both male and female floral morphology required for out-breeding and hence hybrid wheat production. This will be achieved by analysis of key target traits in the wild relatives of wheat with particular emphasis on out-breeding species (developed at Nottingham in the BBSRC WISP/DFW programme). A range of screening procedures will be exploited in combination with genetic markers and molecular cytogenetic techniques. The research undertaken will lead to the identification of genes/wild relative introgressions that control target floral traits that will be incorporated into elite varieties that will facilitate hybrid wheat production.

Relatively little work is being undertaken on the development of lines with the specific flowering morphology that will be critical for hybrid wheat production. In this proposal we focus on the identification of genetic variation for floral morphology required for hybrid wheat production from the large numbers of introgressions derived from the BBSRC funded wheat/wild relative programme based at the University of Nottingham with particular emphasis being placed on lines carrying introgressed chromosome segments from outbreeding wild relatives, i.e. Am. muticum, Ae. speltoides, Secale species, Th. elongatum and Th. intermedium, as these species are most likely to carry the genetic variation for flowering morphology required for hybrid wheat production. Key floral traits include, floret morphology, gaping florets, anther length, anther extrusion, pollen count, area and mass, pollen viability and longevity, pollen morphology, stigma morphology, stigma longevity, flowering duration. Ultimately the research undertaken will lead to the identification of genes/wild relative introgressions that control target floral traits that will be incorporated into elite varieties that will facilitate hybrid wheat production.

Common wheat provides at least 20% of daily food and thus has a major role to play in meeting the future nutritional needs of the global population. However, rather than increasing, wheat yields are plateauing in many parts of the world as a result of a lack of genetic diversity within wheat itself and environmental change. The development of a functional hybrid production system in wheat is predicted to lead to yield increases of between 3.5%-15%. In order to facilitate the development of a hybrid wheat system considerable work needs to be undertaken to develop lines with the specific flowering morphology critical for hybrid wheat production. The aim of the work in this proposal is to transfer the genetic variation for the floral morphology required for hybrid production from outbreeding wild relatives into wheat. Once lines of wheat carrying the requisite genetic variation for floral morphology the genes responsible will be incorporated in to elite lines to enable the future development of superior high yielding wheat varieties.
The beneficiaries of this research will be researchers studying the control of floral morphology, e.g. the transfer of genetic variation for floral morphology from wild relatives will provide a springboard for gene isolation and genetic/biochemical pathways. The work will also provide the tools for plant breeders and quantitative geneticists to undertake research in heterotic interactions etc. in wheat.

This programme will provide underpinning research on a key area of hybrid wheat production. Beneficiaries will include UK and global breeding, wheat production, food manufacturing, marketing industries, research centres. Furthermore, the significant increases in yield production which this work will lead to will be vital to feed the increasing global population at a time when wheat yields are plateauing.