Why is this research important for Alberta ag?
Stripe rust is an important disease of wheat, particularly in Alberta. This project will study the genetics of stripe rust resistance in western Canadian winter wheat varieties and breeding lines.
The underlying genetics of stripe rust resistance in winter wheat is currently not well understood. Wheat breeders have an idea of the specific stripe rust resistance genes that are in their breeding programs, but often the exact genes in each variety of breeding line is unknown. A collection of over 300 winter wheat varieties and breeding lines will be evaluated for stripe rust resistance in inoculated field nurseries in Lethbridge and to specific stripe rust races (strains) in indoor tests. These winter wheats will also be tester with DNA markers found on all 21 wheat chromosomes.
Correlation analysis will identify DNA markers associated with stripe rust resistance. These associations will locate the resistance genes to specific wheat chromosomes and identify markers for selection of stripe rust resistance in western Canadian wheat breeding programs.
What benefits can producers expect from this research?
This research will improve the efficiency of breeding stripe rust resistant wheat varieties. Canadian Western Red Winter (CWRW) breeders would benefit from an improved understanding of the stripe rust resistance in germplasm and from the ability to predict stripe rust resistance using GS models. This will translate into improvements in selection accuracy and increased efficiency in breeding programs.
How will these research findings reach producers on-farm?
Results will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and presented at scientific conferences.