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research: Molecular breeding

Advancing wheat breeding through rapid marker-selectable trait introgression

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

The experimental research station in Toluca, Mexico. (Photo: S. Herrera/CIMMYT)

In the ever-evolving field of agriculture, AGG-WHEAT is leading a transformative approach through rapid marker-selectable trait introgression in wheat breeding programs. This method aims to streamline the process of integrating desirable traits into various genetic backgrounds.

At the core of AGG-WHEAT’s strategy is the establishment of a centralized marker-selectable trait introgression pipeline. This initiative seeks to facilitate the transfer of specific genes from a centralized source into various genetic backgrounds within plant breeding programs. Molecular markers play a crucial role in efficiently identifying and selecting target traits.

The merits of a centralized trait introgression pipeline extend beyond convenience. This approach ensures a more uniform and controlled transfer of genetic material, enhancing the precision of trait introgressions across diverse breeding lines. Molecular markers streamline the selection process, improving the accuracy of desired trait incorporation into wheat varieties.

Speed breeding facilities in Toluca, Mexico

AGG-WHEAT’s marker-selectable trait introgression pipelines are implemented at the speed breeding facilities located at the CIMMYT research station in Toluca, Mexico. These facilities serve as the incubators for innovation, where new selection candidates are evaluated based on various criteria. The decision-making process involves an expert panel comprising geneticists, trait specialists, and breeders. This panel annually determines the selection candidates, considering factors such as trait demand, genetic diversity, evidence of Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) effects, selection efficiency, and available funding.

The decision-making process involves a multifaceted evaluation of potential selection candidates. Documented trait pipelines and product profiles guide decision-making to ensure alignment with the overarching goals of wheat breeding programs. Considerations include the need for phenotypic variation and the existence of limited genetic diversity for the trait under consideration.

The decision-making process also explores existing in-house or external evidence of QTL effects and the underlying gene mechanisms. Selection efficiency, contingent on the availability of accurate molecular markers and a known purified donor parent, further refines the pool of potential candidates. Established phenotypic protocols for product testing and the crucial element of available funding complete the decision-making criteria.

Achievements

In a significant step towards innovation, the products of the first marker-selectable trait introgression pipelines entered yield trials in 2023. This marks a transition from conceptualization to tangible impact, reflecting the efficacy of AGG-WHEAT’s approach. A total of 97 F5-lines, cultivated through the marker-assisted backcross (MABC) scheme, now grace the fields.

These lines carry novel genes associated with fusarium head blight and rust resistance, derived from wheat genetic resources and wild relatives. The choice of these traits underscores AGG-WHEAT’s commitment to addressing challenges faced by wheat crops, ensuring improved resilience and sustainability in the face of evolving environmental conditions.

The success of these initial trait introgression pipelines represents more than a scientific achievement; it marks a pivotal moment in the trajectory of wheat breeding. The 97 F5-lines, standing as testaments to enhanced resistance traits, are poised to make a transition into mainstream breeding pipelines. This marks the commencement of a broader dissemination strategy, where these lines will be distributed for testing at National Agricultural Research and Extension Services (NARES).

The journey from the experimental fields to mainstream adoption involves a meticulous process. These lines, having undergone rigorous evaluation and selection, now hold the potential to catalyze changes in commercial wheat varieties. The lessons learned from their cultivation will shape future breeding strategies and contribute to the resilience of wheat crops in diverse agricultural landscapes.

Rapid marker table. (Photo: CIMMYT)

AGG-WHEAT’s lasting impact

AGG-WHEAT’s marker-selectable trait introgression stands as an innovative approach in wheat breeding. The centralized approach, the strategic use of molecular markers, and the meticulous decision-making process exemplify the commitment to excellence and precision. The journey from concept to reality—marked by the entry of 97 F5-lines into yield trials—signals a new era in wheat breeding.

As these lines traverse from experimental fields to mainstream adoption, they carry the promise of transforming the landscape of commercial wheat varieties. AGG-WHEAT’s lasting impact goes beyond the scientific realm; it extends to the fields where farmers strive for sustainable and resilient wheat crops. In the tapestry of agricultural progress, AGG-WHEAT has woven a thread of innovation that holds the potential to redefine the future of wheat cultivation.

An Example of International Cooperation: China and CIMMYT

Written by mcallejas on . Posted in In the media.

Awais Rasheed has established a high-throughput KASP molecular breeding platform and made outstanding contributions to promoting China-Pakistan cooperation. He has discovered and validated 90 KASP markers available for wheat breeding, accounting for 60 percent of similar markers internationally, which are widely used in China and 15 other countries.

Read the full story here.

China, Pakistan launched joint wheat breeding lab

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in In the media.

On March 2, the China-Pakistan Joint Wheat Molecular Breeding International Lab (“Joint Lab”) was launched, funded by the Science and Technology Partnership Program, Ministry of Science and Technology of China, with the joint support from China‘s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National Agriculture Research Center of Pakistan and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).

The joint lab aims to develop new varieties with high yield and resistance to disease, enhancing breeding capacity and wheat production in Pakistan, where wheat is the largest food crop.

Read the original article: China, Pakistan launched joint wheat breeding lab

The future of wheat

Written by Alfonso Cortés on . Posted in Videos.

CIMMYT’s experimental station in Obregón, a small city in Mexico’s state of Sonora, is considered a mecca for wheat research and breeding. In 1945, Norman Borlaug arrived as a geneticist for a special project between the Mexican government and the Rockefeller Foundation, to help local farmers with wheat production. After a few years, his strong bond with the community, students and interns was key to making a remarkable difference on wheat research that save millions from famine and won him the Nobel Peace Prize. A legacy that has lasted for many decades.

At Obregón, scientists have access to state-of-the-art field facilities and an ideal location, in the northern Yaqui Valley. The station’s dry climate and favorable temperature in winter is suitable to assess yield potential, while its hot summers are ideal to study wheat’s tolerance to different stressors.

Here, scientists and field workers work hard all year round to ensure the future of wheat. Varieties grown in all continents have CIMMYT and Sonoran DNA.

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Jeanie Borlaug Laube. Jesús Larraguibel Artola, President of PIEAES (Patronato para la Investigación y Experimentación Agrícola del Estado de Sonora A.C.). Asociación de Organismos de Agricultores del Sur de Sonora A.C. (AOASS) Global Wheat Program, CIMMYT: Alison Bentley (Program Director), Karim Ammar, Rodrigo Rascón, Carolina Rivera, Alberto Mendoza, Leonardo Crespo and Nele Verhulst.

CREDITS: Production: Alfonso Cortés, Marta Millere and Silvia Rico, CIMMYT. Additional drone shots: Courtesy of INIFAP and PIEAES. Post-production: Silvia Rico, CIMMYT

MUSIC: The Way Up created by Evert Z. Licensed from Artlist.io (License owner: CIMMYT. Creator Pro License Number – 159864). Eclipse created by EFGR. Licensed from Artlist.io (License owner: CIMMYT. Creator Pro License Number – 159864).

Wheat improvement: Food security in a changing climate

Written by Sarah Fernandes on . Posted in Publications.

This open-access textbook provides a comprehensive, up-to-date guide for students and practitioners wishing to access the key disciplines and principles of wheat breeding. Edited by Matthew Paul Reynolds, head of Wheat Physiology at CIMMYT, and Hans-Joachim Braun, former Director of CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program, it covers all aspects of wheat improvement, from utilizing genetic resources to breeding and selection methods, data analysis, biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, yield potential, genomics, quality nutrition and processing, physiological pre-breeding, and seed production.

It will give readers a balanced perspective on proven breeding methods and emerging technologies. The content is rich in didactic material that considers the background to wheat improvement, current mainstream breeding approaches, translational research, and avant-garde technologies that enable breakthroughs in science to impact productivity, facilitating learning.

While the volume provides an overview for professionals interested in wheat, many of the ideas and methods presented are equally relevant to small grain cereals and crop improvement in general.

All chapter authors are world-class researchers and breeders whose expertise spans cutting-edge academic science to impacts in farmers’ fields.

Given the challenges currently faced by academia, industry, and national wheat programs to produce higher crop yields, often with fewer inputs and under increasingly harsher climates, this volume is a timely addition to their toolkit.

A field worker removes the male flower of a wheat spike, as part of controlled pollination in breeding. (Photo: Alfonso Cortés/CIMMYT)

CIMMYT Joins the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in Press releases.

A field worker removes the male flower of a wheat spike, as part of controlled pollination in breeding. (Photo: Alfonso Cortés/CIMMYT)
A field worker removes the male flower of a wheat spike, as part of controlled pollination in breeding. (Photo: Alfonso Cortés/CIMMYT)

The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) is pleased to announce that the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), has joined the organization as a sponsoring partner.

The IWGSC is an international, collaborative consortium of wheat growers, plant scientists, and public and private breeders dedicated to the development of genomic resources for wheat scientists and breeders to facilitate the production of wheat varieties better adapted to today’s challenges – climate change, food security and biodiversity preservation. In 2018, the IWGSC published the first genome reference sequence of the bread wheat, an essential tool to identify more rapidly genes and regulatory elements underlying complex agronomic traits such as yield, grain quality, resistance to diseases, and tolerance to stress such as drought or salinity.

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, known by its Spanish acronym, CIMMYT, is a non-profit international agricultural research and training organization focusing on two of the world’s most important cereal grains: maize and wheat, and related cropping systems and livelihoods. CIMMYT’s maize and wheat research addresses challenges encountered by low-income farmers in the developing world including food and nutritional insecurity, environmental degradation, economic development, population growth and climate change.

CIMMYT’s Global Wheat Program is one of the most important public sources of high yielding, nutritious, disease- and climate-resilient wheat varieties for Africa, Asia, and Latin America. CIMMYT breeding lines can be found in varieties sown on more than 60 million hectares worldwide.

“I am truly pleased that CIMMYT has re-joined the IWGSC. The current reference sequences have been absolutely essential, enabling us to design new trait-based markers for use in CIMMYT wheat breeding pipelines. There remains much to explore in characterizing wheat at the whole genome level,” said CIMMYT wheat molecular breeding laboratory lead, Susanne Dreisigacker.

Sponsors are an essential part of the IWGSC. They participate in IWGSC-led projects and, as members of the Coordinating Committee, they help shape the IWGSC priorities, strategic plans, and activities. Susanne Dreisigacker will represent CIMMYT in the IWGSC Coordinating Committee.

“CIMMYT is a leading force in developing wheat varieties for southern countries,” said Kellye Eversole, Executive Director of the IWGSC. “We are thrilled that they are joining forces with the IWGSC to build the genomic tools and resources that will ensure growers around the world have access to resilient and highly productive wheat varieties.”

After release of the wheat genome reference sequence in 2018, the IWGSC entered Phase II with activities focused on developing tools to accelerate the development of improved varieties and to empower all aspects of basic and applied wheat science. The organization recently released versions 2.1 of the reference sequence assembly and annotation, and is continuing to work with the wheat community to improve the reference sequence by gap filling and integration of manual and functional annotation. The IWGSC also is focused on securing funding for a project that will ensure that “platinum-quality” sequences, representing the worldwide wheat diversity of landraces and elite varieties, are available publicly for breeders.

About the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium

The IWGSC, with 3,300 members in 71 countries, is an international, collaborative consortium, established in 2005 by a group of wheat growers, plant scientists, and public and private breeders. The goal of the IWGSC is to make a high-quality genome sequence of bread wheat publicly available, in order to lay a foundation for basic research that will enable breeders to develop improved varieties. The IWGSC is a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. To learn more, visit www.wheatgenome.org and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.