Plant scientists from the University of Saskatchewan will play a key role in an international effort aimed at sequencing the wheat genome.
U of S wheat breeders Curtis Pozniak and Pierre Hucl will lead a Canadian team responsible for sequencing a portion of the genome known as chromosome 6D.
The Canadian project, Canadian Triticum Advancement through Genomics program (CTAG), is part of a larger international effort led by the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium.
“The main goal of the project is to sequence and understand all of the genes that are in the wheat genome and how they contribute to traits that are important to western Canadian farmers,” Pozniak said.
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“Once we understand some of the key genes that are involved in the traits that we’re breeding for, then we can develop molecular diagnostic tools … that allow us to ensure that all the best genes are assembled into the best package for Canadian farmers.”
CTAG will also involve plant scientists from France, the U.S. and Canada’s National Research Council.
The Canadian project will receive $8.5 million in funding, including $4.1 million from Genome Canada, $1.5 million from Saskatchewan Agriculture, $1.1 million from the Western Grains Research Foundation and $1 million from India’s National Agri- Food Biotechnology Institute.
Six other organizations, including Viterra, Genome Alberta and the Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund, add the remainder of the money.
CTAG will be managed by Genome Prairie in Saskatoon.
Pozniak, a durum breeder at the U of S’s Crop Development Centre, said sequencing a single chromosome is a huge undertaking, especially one as complex as 6D.
There are 21 chromosomes in the wheat genome and 6D is one of the largest. It contains genetic material that is important to farmers, including genes that confer resistance to common bunt and a virulent strain of stem rust known as UG99.
Other genes on the chromosome are related to improved end-use quality characteristics, such as dough function.
Other nations included in the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium will be responsible for sequencing the other 20 chromosomes in the genome.
The Canadian portion of the project is expected to take three years.
The international sequencing effort is likely to take at least five years.
CTAG will involve more than 20 of Canada’s top plant scientists and require the addition of eight new plant scientists at the U of S, Pozniak said.
The project will examine the role of public-private partnerships in wheat genomics and breeding research.
Hucl, a CDC wheat breeder, said sequencing the wheat genome is an important step toward developing better wheat varieties.
