Wheat Genetics & Genomics
The wheat genetics program consists of scientists from both USDA Central Small Grain Genotyping Lab (CSGGL) and the Agronomy Department. The USDA Genotyping Lab housed in the Agronomy Department is one of the four USDA Regional Small Grain Genotyping Labs. The Genotyping Lab in Kansas State University provides high-throughput genotyping service and cutting-edge genomic tools to wheat genetics and breeding programs in the US Great Plains to speed up release of hard winter wheat cultivars in the region.
The main research goal of the wheat genetics program is to develop and deploy new genomic tools and genetic resources for hard winter wheat regional breeding programs. The specific goals of the program are to:
- Develop and implement new high-throughput genotyping technologies for genome-wide marker analysis.
- Use genome-wide association study and QTL mapping to identify QTLs for resistance to major wheat diseases including Fusarium head blight and leaf and stem rusts, viruses including wheat soil borne mosaic virus and wheat streak mosaic virus, insects including wheat curl mite and Hessian fly, and preharvest sprouting, and for yield and quality traits.
- Clone QTLs conditioning important wheat traits in the Great Plains, develop diagnostic markers for these QTLs, and screen the elite breeding materials in the region using these markers.
- Develop new genome editing tools for gene function validation and creation of new genetic variations for breeding.
- Provide breeders the access to sophisticated and state of the art molecular breeding technologies to maximize the efficiency of wheat breeding programs and speed up the process of new cultivar release.
- Pyramid multiple disease resistance genes to create new germplasm with high levels of resistance to wheat Fusarium head blight and other major diseases in the Great Plains.