July 24, 2006

US wheat scientists work with producers to improve wheat varieties
 

Rising temperatures and wheat prices have prompted US scientists to embark on a race to discover wheat varieties that are not only heat and drought tolerant but also provides insect resistance as well as high yields. 

The US Wheat Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP), a multi-state effort to incorporate breeders from 25 projects in the country, is one of the projects launched by wheat breeders, scientists and molecular biologists working together to improve US wheat.

The 4-year project is led by researchers from Montana State University with the primary goal of establishing marker-assisted selection in public wheat breeding programmes and using it to improve US wheat's global marketability.

The process would allow wheat producers to select individual genes marked for specific characteristics to develop new wheat varieties to replace the current trial and error cross-breeding method.

In the marker-assisted selection process, scientists work to identify genes controlling desired traits with molecular markers. The marker-assisted selection process would provide for multiple trait selection and selection at seedling stage, which would lead to lower labour requirements.