Genetic mapping of deoxynivalenol and fusarium damaged kernel resistance in an adapted durum wheat population.

BACKGROUND: Fusarium head blight (FHB) infection results in Fusarium damaged kernels (FDK) and deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination that are downgrading factors at the Canadian elevators. Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum Desf.) is particularly susceptible to FHB and most of the adapted Canadian durum wheat cultivars are susceptible to moderately susceptible to this disease. However, the durum line DT696 is less susceptible to FHB than commercially grown cultivars. Little is known about genetic variation for durum wheat ability to resist FDK infection and DON accumulation. This study was undertaken to map genetic loci conferring resistance to DON and FDK resistance using a SNP high-density genetic map of a DT707/DT696 DH population and to identify SNP markers useful in marker-assisted breeding. One hundred twenty lines were grown in corn spawn inoculated nurseries near Morden, MB in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and the harvested seeds were evaluated for DON. The genetic map of the population was used in quantitative trait locus analysis performed with MapQTL.6® software. RESULTS: Four DON accumulation resistance QTL detected in two of the three years were identified on chromosomes 1 A, 5 A (2 loci) and 7 A and two FDK resistance QTL were identified on chromosomes 5 and 7 A in single environments. Although not declared significant due to marginal LOD values, the QTL for FDK on the 5 and 7 A were showing in other years suggesting their effects were real. DT696 contributed the favourable alleles for low DON and FDK on all the chromosomes. Although no resistance loci contributed by DT707, transgressive segregant lines were identified resulting in greater resistance than DT696. Breeder-friendly KASP markers were developed for two of the DON and FDK QTL detected on chromosomes 5 and 7 A. Markers flanking each QTL were physically mapped against the durum wheat reference sequence and candidate genes which might be involved in FDK and DON resistance were identified within the QTL intervals. CONCLUSIONS: The DH lines harboring the desired resistance QTL will serve as useful resources in breeding for FDK and DON resistance in durum wheat. Furthermore, breeder-friendly KASP markers developed during this study will be useful for the selection of durum wheat varieties with low FDK and DON levels in durum wheat breeding programs.

Climate change enhances stability of wheat-flowering-date.

The stability of winter wheat-flowering-date is crucial for ensuring consistent and robust crop performance across diverse climatic conditions. However, the impact of climate change on wheat-flowering-dates remains uncertain. This study aims to elucidate the influence of climate change on wheat-flowering-dates, predict how projected future climate conditions will affect flowering date stability, and identify the most stable wheat genotypes in the study region. We applied a multi-locus genotype-based (MLG-based) model for simulating wheat-flowering-dates, which we calibrated and evaluated using observed data from the Northern China winter wheat region (NCWWR). This MLG-based model was employed to project flowering dates under different climate scenarios. The simulated flowering dates were then used to assess the stability of flowering dates under varying allelic combinations in projected climatic conditions. Our MLG-based model effectively simulated flowering dates, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 2.3 days, explaining approximately 88.5 % of the genotypic variation in flowering dates among 100 wheat genotypes. We found that, in comparison to the baseline climate, wheat-flowering-dates are expected to shift earlier within the target sowing window by approximately 11 and 14 days by 2050 under the Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 (RCP4.5) and RCP8.5 climate scenarios, respectively. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that wheat-flowering-date stability is likely to be further strengthened under projected climate scenarios due to early flowering trends. Ultimately, we demonstrate that the combination of Vrn and Ppd genes, rather than individual Vrn or Ppd genes, plays a critical role in wheat-flowering-date stability. Our results suggest that the combination of Ppd-D1a with winter genotypes carrying the vrn-D1 allele significantly contributes to flowering date stability under current and projected climate scenarios. These findings provide valuable insights for wheat breeders and producers under future climatic conditions.

High-density genetic mapping of Fusarium head blight resistance and agronomic traits in spring wheat.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) has rapidly become a major challenge to successful wheat production and competitive end-use quality in western Canada. Continuous effort is required to develop germplasm with improved FHB resistance and understand how to incorporate the material into crossing schemes for marker-assisted selection and genomic selection. The aim of this study was to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) responsible for the expression of FHB resistance in two adapted cultivars and to evaluate their co-localization with plant height, days to maturity, days to heading, and awnedness. A large doubled haploid population of 775 lines developed from cultivars Carberry and AC Cadillac was assessed for FHB incidence and severity in nurseries near Portage la Prairie, Brandon, and Morden in different years, and for plant height, awnedness, days to heading, and days to maturity near Swift Current. An initial linkage map using a subset of 261 lines was constructed using 634 polymorphic DArT and SSR markers. QTL analysis revealed five resistance QTL on chromosomes 2A, 3B (two loci), 4B, and 5A. A second genetic map with increased marker density was constructed using the Infinium iSelect 90k SNP wheat array in addition to the previous DArT and SSR markers, which revealed two additional QTL on 6A and 6D. The complete population was genotyped, and a total of 6,806 Infinium iSelect 90k SNP polymorphic markers were used to identify 17 putative resistance QTL on 14 different chromosomes. As with the smaller population size and fewer markers, large-effect QTL were detected on 3B, 4B, and 5A that were consistently expressed across environments. FHB resistance QTL were co-localized with plant height QTL on chromosomes 4B, 6D, and 7D; days to heading on 2B, 3A, 4A, 4B, and 5A; and maturity on 3A, 4B, and 7D. A major QTL for awnedness was identified as being associated with FHB resistance on chromosome 5A. Nine small-effect QTL were not associated with any of the agronomic traits, whereas 13 QTL that were associated with agronomic traits did not co-localize with any of the FHB traits. There is an opportunity to select for improved FHB resistance within adapted cultivars by using markers associated with complementary QTL.

Breeding and adoption of biofortified crops and their nutritional impact on human health.

Micronutrient malnutrition has affected over two billion people worldwide and continues to be a health risk. A growing human population, poverty, and the prevalence of low dietary diversity are jointly responsible for malnutrition, particularly in developing nations. Inadequate bioavailability of key micronutrients, such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and vitamin A, can be improved through agronomic and/or genetic interventions. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research prioritizes developing biofortified food crops that are rich in minerals and vitamins through the HarvestPlus initiative on biofortification. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of biofortified food crops along with evidence supporting their acceptability and adoption. Between 2004 and 2019, 242 biofortified varieties belonging to 11 major crops were released in 30 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. These conventionally bred biofortified crops include Fe-enriched beans, pearl millet, and cowpea; Zn-enriched rice, wheat, and maize; both Fe- and Zn-enriched lentil and sorghum; and varieties with improved vitamin A in orange-fleshed sweet potato, maize, cassava, and banana/plantain. In addition to ongoing efforts, breeding innovations, such as speed breeding and CRISPR-based gene editing technologies, will be necessary for the next decade to reach two billion people with biofortified crops.

Climate change may outpace current wheat breeding yield improvements in North America.

Variety adaptation to future climate for wheat is important but lacks comprehensive understanding. Here, we evaluate genetic advancement under current and future climate using a dataset of wheat breeding nurseries in North America during 1960-2018. Results show that yields declined by 3.6% per 1 °C warming for advanced winter wheat breeding lines, compared with -5.5% for the check variety, indicating a superior climate-resilience. However, advanced spring wheat breeding lines showed a 7.5% yield reduction per 1 °C warming, which is more sensitive than a 7.1% reduction for the check variety, indicating climate resilience is not improved and may even decline for spring wheat. Under future climate of SSP scenarios, yields of winter and spring wheat exhibit declining trends even with advanced breeding lines, suggesting future climate warming could outpace the yield gains from current breeding progress. Our study highlights that the adaptation progress following the current wheat breeding strategies is challenging.

Main effect and epistatic QTL affecting spike shattering and association with plant height revealed in two spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) populations.

KEY MESSAGE: A major QTL on chromosome arm 4BS was associated with reduced spike shattering and reduced plant height in coupling phase, and a second major QTL associated with reduced spike shattering was detected on chromosome arm 5AL in the same wheat variety Carberry. Spike shattering can cause severe grain yield loss in wheat. Development of cultivars with reduced shattering but having easy mechanical threshability is the target of wheat breeding programs. This study was conducted to determine quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with shattering resistance, and epistasis among QTL in the populations Carberry/AC Cadillac and Carberry/Thatcher. Response of the populations to spike shattering was evaluated near Swift Current, SK, in four to five environments. Plant height data recorded in different locations and years were used to determine the relationship of the trait with spike shattering. Each population was genotyped and mapped with the wheat 90 K Illumina iSelect SNP array. Main effect QTL were analyzed by MapQTL 6, and epistatic interactions between main effect QTL were determined by QTLNetwork 2.0. Correlations between height and shattering ranged from 0.15 to 0.49. Carberry contributed two major QTL associated with spike shattering on chromosome arms 4BS and 5AL, detected in both populations. Carberry also contributed two minor QTL on 7AS and 7AL. AC Cadillac contributed five minor QTL on 1AL, 2DL, 3AL, 3DL and 7DS. Nine epistatic QTL interactions were identified, out of which the most consistent and synergistic interaction, that reduced the expression of shattering, occurred between 4BS and 5AL QTL. The 4BS QTL was consistently associated with reduced shattering and reduced plant height in the coupling phase. The present findings shed light on the inheritance of shattering resistance and provide genetic markers for manipulating the trait to develop wheat cultivars.

Reverse genetic approaches for breeding nutrient-rich and climate-resilient cereal and food legume crops.

In the last decade, advancements in genomics tools and techniques have led to the discovery of many genes. Most of these genes still need to be characterized for their associated function and therefore, such genes remain underutilized for breeding the next generation of improved crop varieties. The recent developments in different reverse genetic approaches have made it possible to identify the function of genes controlling nutritional, biochemical, and metabolic traits imparting drought, heat, cold, salinity tolerance as well as diseases and insect-pests. This article focuses on reviewing the current status and prospects of using reverse genetic approaches to breed nutrient-rich and climate resilient cereal and food legume crops.

Conditional Mapping Identified Quantitative Trait Loci for Grain Protein Concentration Expressing Independently of Grain Yield in Canadian Durum Wheat.

Grain protein concentration (GPC) is an important trait in durum cultivar development as a major determinant of the nutritional value of grain and end-use product quality. However, it is challenging to simultaneously select both GPC and grain yield (GY) due to the negative correlation between them. To characterize quantitative trait loci (QTL) for GPC and understand the genetic relationship between GPC and GY in Canadian durum wheat, we performed both traditional and conditional QTL mapping using a doubled haploid (DH) population of 162 lines derived from Pelissier × Strongfield. The population was grown in the field over 5 years and GPC was measured. QTL contributing to GPC were detected on chromosome 1B, 2B, 3A, 5B, 7A, and 7B using traditional mapping. One major QTL on 3A (QGpc.spa-3A.3) was consistently detected over 3 years accounting for 9.4-18.1% of the phenotypic variance, with the favorable allele derived from Pelissier. Another major QTL on 7A (QGpc.spa-7A) detected in 3 years explained 6.9-14.8% of the phenotypic variance, with the beneficial allele derived from Strongfield. Comparison of the QTL described here with the results previously reported led to the identification of one novel major QTL on 3A (QGpc.spa-3A.3) and five novel minor QTL on 1B, 2B and 3A. Four QTL were common between traditional and conditional mapping, with QGpc.spa-3A.3 and QGpc.spa-7A detected in multiple environments. The QTL identified by conditional mapping were independent or partially independent of GY, making them of great importance for development of high GPC and high yielding durum.

A Combination of Leaf Rust Resistance Genes, Including Lr34 and Lr46, Is the Key to the Durable Resistance of the Canadian Wheat Cultivar, Carberry.

The hexaploid spring wheat cultivar, Carberry, was registered in Canada in 2009, and has since been grown over an extensive area on the Canadian Prairies. Carberry has maintained a very high level of leaf rust (Puccinia triticina Eriks.) resistance since its release. To understand the genetic basis of Carberry's leaf rust resistance, Carberry was crossed with the susceptible cultivar, Thatcher, and a doubled haploid (DH) population of 297 lines was generated. The DH population was evaluated for leaf rust in seven field environments at the adult plant stage. Seedling and adult plant resistance (APR) to multiple virulence phenotypes of P. triticina was evaluated on the parents and the progeny population in controlled greenhouse studies. The population was genotyped with the wheat 90 K iSelect single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, and quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis was performed. The analysis using field leaf rust response indicated that Carberry contributed nine QTL located on chromosomes 1B, 2B (2 loci), 2D, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, and 7D. The QTL located on 1B, 2B, 5B, and 7D chromosomes were observed in two or more environments, whereas the remainder were detected in single environments. The resistance on 1B, detected in five environments, was attributed to Lr46 and on 7D, detected in seven environments to Lr34. The first 2B QTL corresponded with the adult plant gene, Lr13, while the second QTL corresponded with Lr16. The seedling analysis showed that Carberry carries Lr2a, Lr16, and Lr23. Five epistatic effects were identified in the population, with synergistic interactions being observed for Lr34 with Lr46, Lr16, and Lr2a. The durable rust resistance of Carberry is attributed to Lr34 and Lr46 in combination with these other resistance genes, because the resistance has remained effective even though the P. triticina population has evolved virulent to Lr2a, Lr13, Lr16, and Lr23.

Mapping quantitative trait loci associated with leaf rust resistance in five spring wheat populations using single nucleotide polymorphism markers.

Growing resistant wheat (Triticum aestivum L) varieties is an important strategy for the control of leaf rust, caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks. This study sought to identify the chromosomal location and effects of leaf rust resistance loci in five Canadian spring wheat cultivars. The parents and doubled haploid lines of crosses Carberry/AC Cadillac, Carberry/Vesper, Vesper/Lillian, Vesper/Stettler and Stettler/Red Fife were assessed for leaf rust severity and infection response in field nurseries in Canada near Swift Current, SK from 2013 to 2015, Morden, MB from 2015 to 2017 and Brandon, MB in 2016, and in New Zealand near Lincoln in 2014. The populations were genotyped with the 90K Infinium iSelect assay and quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis was performed. A high density consensus map generated based on 14 doubled haploid populations and integrating SNP and SSR markers was used to compare QTL identified in different populations. AC Cadillac contributed QTL on chromosomes 2A, 3B and 7B (2 loci), Carberry on 1A, 2B (2 loci), 2D, 4B (2 loci), 5A, 6A, 7A and 7D, Lillian on 4A and 7D, Stettler on 2D and 6B, Vesper on 1B, 1D, 2A, 6B and 7B (2 loci), and Red Fife on 7A and 7B. Lillian contributed to a novel locus QLr.spa-4A, and similarly Carberry at QLr.spa-5A. The discovery of novel leaf rust resistance QTL QLr.spa-4A and QLr.spa-5A, and several others in contemporary Canada Western Red Spring wheat varieties is a tremendous addition to our present knowledge of resistance gene deployment in breeding. Carberry demonstrated substantial stacking of genes which could be supplemented with the genes identified in other cultivars with the expectation of increasing efficacy of resistance to leaf rust and longevity with little risk of linkage drag.

High Density Mapping of Quantitative Trait Loci Conferring Gluten Strength in Canadian Durum Wheat.

Gluten strength is one of the factors that determine the end-use quality of durum wheat and is an important breeding target for this crop. To characterize the quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling gluten strength in Canadian durum wheat cultivars, a population of 162 doubled haploid (DH) lines segregating for gluten strength and derived from cv. Pelissier × cv. Strongfield was used in this study. The DH lines, parents, and controls were grown in 3 years and two seeding dates in each year and gluten strength of grain samples was measured by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-sedimentation volume (SV). With a genetic map created by genotyping the DH lines using the Illumina Infinium iSelect Wheat 90K SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) chip, QTL contributing to gluten strength were detected on chromosome 1A, 1B, 2B, and 3A. Two major and stable QTL detected on chromosome 1A (QGlu.spa-1A) and 1B (QGlu.spa-1B.1) explaining 13.7-18.7% and 25.4-40.1% of the gluten strength variability respectively were consistently detected over 3 years, with the trait increasing alleles derived from Strongfield. Putative candidate genes underlying the major QTL were identified. Two novel minor QTL (QGlu.spa-3A.1 and QGlu.spa-3A.2) with the trait increasing allele derived from Pelissier were mapped on chromosome 3A explaining up to 8.9% of the phenotypic variance; another three minor QTL (QGlu.spa-2B.1, QGlu.spa-2B.2, and QGlu.spa-2B.3) located on chromosome 2B explained up to 8.7% of the phenotypic variance with the trait increasing allele derived from Pelissier. QGlu.spa-2B.1 is a new QTL and has not been reported in the literature. Multi-environment analysis revealed genetic (QTL) × environment interaction due to the difference of effect in magnitude rather than the direction of the QTL. Eleven pairs of digenic epistatic QTL were identified, with an epistatic effect between the two major QTL of QGlu.spa-1A and QGlu.spa-1B.1 detected in four out of six environments. The peak SNPs and SNPs flanking the QTL interval of QGlu.spa-1A and QGlu.spa-1B.1 were converted to Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) markers, which can be deployed in marker-assisted breeding to increase the efficiency and accuracy of phenotypic selection for gluten strength in durum wheat. The QTL that were expressed consistently across environments are of great importance to maintain the gluten strength of Canadian durum wheat to current market standards during the genetic improvement.

Characterization of the Genetic Architecture for Fusarium Head Blight Resistance in Durum Wheat: The Complex Association of Resistance, Flowering Time, and Height Genes.

Durum wheat is an economically important crop for Canadian farmers. Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most destructive diseases that threatens durum production in Canada. FHB reduces yield and end-use quality and most commonly contaminates the grain with the fungal mycotoxin deoxynivalenol, also known as DON. Serious outbreaks of FHB can occur in durum wheat in Canada, and combining genetic resistance with fungicide application is a cost effective approach to control this disease. However, there is limited variation for genetic resistance to FHB in elite Canadian durum cultivars. To explore and identify useful genetic FHB resistance variation for the improvement of Canadian durum wheat, we assembled an association mapping (AM) panel of diverse durum germplasms and performed genome wide association analysis (GWAS). Thirty-one quantitative trait loci (QTL) across all 14 chromosomes were significantly associated with FHB resistance. On 3BS, a stable QTL with a larger effect for resistance was located close to the centromere of 3BS. Three haplotypes of Fhb1 QTL were identified, with an emmer wheat haplotype contributing to disease susceptibility. The large number of QTL identified here can provide a rich resource to improve FHB resistance in commercially grown durum wheat. Among the 31 QTL most were associated with plant height and/or flower time. QTL 1A.1, 1A.2, 3B.2, 5A.1, 6A.1, 7A.3 were associated with FHB resistance and not associated or only weakly associated with flowering time nor plant height. These QTL have features that would make them good targets for FHB resistance breeding.

Abundance of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal taxa associated with the roots and rhizosphere soil of different durum wheat cultivars in the Canadian prairies.

Understanding the variation in how wheat genotypes shape their arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities in a prairie environment is foundational to breeding for enhanced AM fungi-wheat interactions. The AM fungal communities associated with 32 durum wheat genotypes were described by pyrosequencing of amplicons. The experiment was set up at two locations in the Canadian prairies. The intensively managed site was highly dominated by Funneliformis. Genotype influenced the AM fungal community in the rhizosphere soil, but there was no evidence of a differential genotype effect on the AM fungal community of durum wheat roots. The influence of durum wheat genotype on the AM fungal community of the soil was less important at the intensively managed site. Certain durum wheat genotypes, such as Strongfield, Plenty, and CDC Verona, were associated with high abundance of Paraglomus, and Dominikia was undetected in the rhizosphere of the recent cultivars Enterprise, Eurostar, Commander, and Brigade. Genetic variation in the association of durum wheat with AM fungi suggests the possibility of increasing the sustainability of cropping systems through the use of durum wheat genotypes that select highly effective AM fungal taxa residing in the agricultural soils of the Canadian prairies.

High-density genetic mapping of a major QTL for resistance to multiple races of loose smut in a tetraploid wheat cross.

Loose smut, caused by Ustilago tritici (Pers.) Rostr., is a systemic disease of tetraploid durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.). Loose smut can be economically controlled by growing resistant varieties, making it important to find and deploy new sources of resistance. Blackbird, a variety of T. turgidum L. subsp. carthlicum (Nevski) A. Love & D. Love, carries a high level of resistance to loose smut. Blackbird was crossed with the loose smut susceptible durum cultivar Strongfield to produce a doubled haploid (DH) mapping population. The parents and progenies were inoculated with U. tritici races T26, T32 and T33 individually and as a mixture at Swift Current, Canada in 2011 and 2012 and loose smut incidence (LSI) was assessed. Genotyping of the DH population and parents using an Infinium iSelect 90K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array identified 12,952 polymorphic SNPs. The SNPs and 426 SSRs (previously genotyped in the same population) were mapped to 16 linkage groups spanning 3008.4 cM at an average inter-marker space of 0.2 cM in a high-density genetic map. Composite interval mapping analysis revealed three significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) for loose smut resistance on chromosomes 3A, 6B and 7A. The loose smut resistance QTL on 6B (QUt.spa-6B.2) and 7A (QUt.spa-7A.2) were derived from Blackbird. Strongfield contributed the minor QTL on 3A (QUt.spa-3A.2). The resistance on 6B was a stable major QTL effective against all individual races and the mixture of the three races; it explained up to 74% of the phenotypic variation. This study is the first attempt in durum wheat to identify and map loose smut resistance QTL using a high-density genetic map. The QTL QUt.spa-6B.2 would be an effective source for breeding resistance to multiple races of the loose smut pathogen because it provides near-complete broad resistance to the predominant virulence on the Canadian prairies.

Quantitative trait loci for resistance to stripe rust of wheat revealed using global field nurseries and opportunities for stacking resistance genes.

KEY MESSAGE: Quantitative trait loci controlling stripe rust resistance were identified in adapted Canadian spring wheat cultivars providing opportunity for breeders to stack loci using marker-assisted breeding. Stripe rust or yellow rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis Westend. f. sp. tritici Erikss., is a devastating disease of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in many regions of the world. The objectives of this research were to identify and map quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with stripe rust resistance in adapted Canadian spring wheat cultivars that are effective globally, and investigate opportunities for stacking resistance. Doubled haploid (DH) populations from the crosses Vesper/Lillian, Vesper/Stettler, Carberry/Vesper, Stettler/Red Fife and Carberry/AC Cadillac were phenotyped for stripe rust severity and infection response in field nurseries in Canada (Lethbridge and Swift Current), New Zealand (Lincoln), Mexico (Toluca) and Kenya (Njoro), and genotyped with SNP markers. Six QTL for stripe rust resistance in the population of Vesper/Lillian, five in Vesper/Stettler, seven in Stettler/Red Fife, four in Carberry/Vesper and nine in Carberry/AC Cadillac were identified. Lillian contributed stripe rust resistance QTL on chromosomes 4B, 5A, 6B and 7D, AC Cadillac on 2A, 2B, 3B and 5B, Carberry on 1A, 1B, 4A, 4B, 7A and 7D, Stettler on 1A, 2A, 3D, 4A, 5B and 6A, Red Fife on 2D, 3B and 4B, and Vesper on 1B, 2B and 7A. QTL on 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3B, 4A, 4B, 5B, 7A and 7D were observed in multiple parents. The populations are compelling sources of recombination of many stripe rust resistance QTL for stacking disease resistance. Gene pyramiding should be possible with little chance of linkage drag of detrimental genes as the source parents were mostly adapted cultivars widely grown in Canada.

How early can the seeding dates of spring wheat be under current and future climate in Saskatchewan, Canada?

BACKGROUND: Shorter growing season and water stress near wheat maturity are the main factors that presumably limit the yield potential of spring wheat due to late seeding in Saskatchewan, Canada. Advancing seeding dates can be a strategy to help producers mitigate the impact of climate change on spring wheat. It is unknown, however, how early farmers can seed while minimizing the risk of spring frost damage and the soil and machinery constraints. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: This paper explores early seeding dates of spring wheat on the Canadian Prairies under current and projected future climate. To achieve this, (i) weather records from 1961 to 1990 were gathered at three sites with different soil and climate conditions in Saskatchewan, Canada; (ii) four climate databases that included a baseline (treated as historic weather climate during the period of 1961-1990) and three climate change scenarios (2040-2069) developed by the Canadian global climate model (GCM) with the forcing of three greenhouse gas (GHG) emission scenarios (A2, A1B and B1); (iii) seeding dates of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under baseline and projected future climate were predicted. Compared with the historical record of seeding dates, the predicted seeding dates were advanced under baseline climate for all sites using our seeding date model. Driven by the predicted temperature increase of the scenarios compared with baseline climate, all climate change scenarios projected significantly earlier seeding dates than those currently used. Compared to the baseline conditions, there is no reduction in grain yield because precipitation increases during sensitive growth stages of wheat, suggesting that there is potential to shift seeding to an earlier date. The average advancement of seeding dates varied among sites and chosen scenarios. The Swift Current (south-west) site has the highest potential for earlier seeding (7 to 11 days) whereas such advancement was small in the Melfort (north-east, 2 to 4 days) region. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The extent of projected climate change in Saskatchewan indicates that growers in this region have the potential of earlier seeding. The results obtained in this study may be used for adaptation assessments of seeding dates under possible climate change to mitigate the impact of potential warming.

Quantitative genetic analysis and mapping of leaf angle in durum wheat.

The leaf erectness profile has been used to optimize plant architecture since erect leaves can enhance photosynthesis and dry matter production by greater sunlight capture. Brassinosteroid is a recent class of phytohormones that has been related to a more erect profile. There are no reports in the literature of the genetic variability of leaf angle in doubled haploid durum wheat populations; most studies on leaf angle have focused on the inheritance. Our aim was to study the genetic variation in flag and penultimate leaf angle in a durum wheat doubled haploid mapping population, identifying and mapping quantitative trait loci influencing leaf angle. An F(1)-derived doubled haploid population of 89 lines from the cross Strongfield/Blackbird was used to construct a genetic map using 423 molecular marker loci. Two greenhouse experiments and one field test were conducted using an alpha lattice in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The leaf angle was measured on flag and penultimate leaf with a protractor at three different growth stages. The results indicated poor to moderate correlations between the position of the leaf angle and the growth stage. Transgressive segregation beyond Strongfield and Blackbird of leaf angle was observed for all environments. Putative trait loci were identified on chromosomes 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4B, 5B and 7A. This work helps to understand the genetics of leaf angle in durum wheat.

Brassinosteroid leaf unrolling QTL mapping in durum wheat.

Brassinosteroids are a newly reported class of plant growth phytohormones found in plants throughout the plant kingdom. Functioning at very low concentrations, they play an essential role in improving biomass yield and stress tolerance. There are no reports in the literature of the genetic variability of responsiveness of brassinosteroids in wheat; most studies on brassinosteroids have focused on the physiological effects of exogenous addition of brassinosteroids. Our aim was to study the genetic variation in the responsiveness of a doubled haploid durum wheat population to three brassinosteroid concentrations using the leaf unrolling test, which is a simple bioassay to test brassinosteroid activity. An F(1)-derived doubled haploid population of 77 individuals from the cross Strongfield/Blackbird was used to construct a genetic map of 427 molecular marker loci. The leaf unrolling test was performed on the parents and doubled haploid genotypes of the population using 0.2, 2 and 20 nM brassinosteroid concentrations. The results indicated significant differences in leaf unrolling between the two parents, doubled haploid genotypes, treatments and genotype-by-treatment combinations. Transgressive segregation beyond Strongfield of leaf unrolling was observed for all concentrations, with the strongest response at 20 nM. Putative quantitative trait loci were revealed in the intervals Xgwm2-Xbarc45 on chromosome 3A and Xwmc643a-Xwmc625a on chromosome 3B. Additional quantitative trait loci were associated with markers Xwmc48a, Xwmc511, Xwmc89a and Xgwmc692 on chromosome 4B, and Xwmc17 on chromosome 7A. This work should enhance the understanding of the relationship between stress tolerance and productivity, and responsiveness to brassinosteroids.

Genome-wide linkage disequilibrium analysis in bread wheat and durum wheat.

Bread wheat and durum wheat were examined for linkage disequilibrium (LD) using microsatellite markers distributed across the genome. The allele database consisted of 189 bread wheat accessions genotyped at 370 loci and 93 durum wheat accessions genotyped at 245 loci. A significance level of p < 0.001 was set for all comparisons. The bread and durum wheat collections showed that 47.9% and 14.0% of all locus pairs were in LD, respectively. LD was more prevalent between loci on the same chromosome compared with loci on independent chromosomes and was highest between adjacent loci. Only a small fraction (bread wheat, 0.9%; durum wheat, 3.2%) of the locus pairs in LD showed R2 values > 0.2. The LD between adjacent locus pairs extended (R2 > 0.2) approximately 2-3 cM, on average, but some regions of the bread and durum wheat genomes showed high levels of LD (R2 = 0.7 and 1.0, respectively) extending 41.2 and 25.5 cM, respectively. The wheat collections were clustered by similarity into subpopulations using unlinked microsatellite data and the software Structure. Analysis within subpopulations showed 14- to 16-fold fewer locus pairs in LD, higher R2 values for those pairs in LD, and LD extending further along the chromosome. The data suggest that LD mapping of wheat can be performed with simple sequence repeats to a resolution of <5 cM.

Haplotype diversity of preharvest sprouting QTLs in wheat.

Preharvest sprouting (PHS) is one of the most important factors affecting wheat production worldwide in environments characterized by rainfall and high humidity at harvest. In such environments, the incorporation of seed dormancy of a limited duration is required to minimize losses associated with PHS. A global collection of 28 PHS-resistant and -susceptible wheat germplasm was characterized with microsatellite markers flanking the genomic regions associated with PHS-resistance quantitative trait loci (QTLs), particularly on chromosomes 3D and 4A. The genetic diversity analysis revealed 380 alleles at 54 microsatellite loci, with an average of 7.0 alleles per locus, among the 28 wheat genotypes. Gower's genetic similarity values among all possible pairs of genotypes varied from 0.44 to 0.97, indicating that there is considerable diversity in the PHS germplasm evaluated. Cluster and principal coordinates analysis of genetic similarity estimates differentiated the genotypes into groups, according to their source of PHS resistance. Three major SSR haplotypes were observed on chromosome 4AL, designated RL4137-type allele, Aus1408-type allele, and synthetic-hexaploid-type allele. The RL4137-type allele was prevalent in Canadian cultivars, mostly in cluster 6, followed by the Aus1408-type and its derivatives in clusters 4 and 5. The Syn36 and Syn37 alleles on chromosome 4AL were rare. On chromosome 3DL, the SSRs haplotypes derived from Syn36 and Syn37 were also rare, and proved unique to the Aegilops tauschii - derived synthetic hexaploids. They are therefore likely carrying resistance genes different from those previously reported. Based on genetic relationships, PHS resistance might be improved by selecting parental genotypes from different clusters.