LACOMBE, Alta. – Teams of biotechnologists at the Lacombe Research Centre are working to develop crosses for disease resistance in cereals such as wheat and barley.
But genomic sequencing, tracing molecular markers and genetic transfers isn’t all there is to it.
“Unless we are able to apply this to the breeding program, it is of little value to us,” said Jennifer Zantinge, a geneticist with Alberta Agriculture.
The final product must have a tangible benefit, she said.
Plant breeder Kequan Xi is working to find multiple genes to provide resistance to problems like scald, net blotch and stem rust.
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Xi and Zantinge said a single gene could provide resistance to a certain disease, but multiple genes do a better job and make the plant more efficient and durable.
“We have to know the spectrum of diseases in (central Alberta). We need to know as many genes as possible,” Xi said.
Through genetic screening on germplasm from around the world, Xi and Zantinge have found barley types resistant to pathogens like scald and net blotch.
Zantinge identifies and applies various molecular technologies to the breeding program. Part of the work involves molecular marker selections that are specific sequences of DNA in a genome. Finding these spots on the genome can help plant breeders predict how a plant might behave in certain conditions.
However, it is a complicated and expensive process so adding resistance to diseases like scald takes time. Breeders also have to consider environmental conditions. Genes could be added to a new variety but drought or excessive moisture still influences the final harvest.
They also want to make sure adding some new genes do not diminish other valuable traits.
For example, the barley variety Seebe is fairly durable against scald so adding those genes to malt varieties could work as long as the change did not harm malting quality.
Researchers are also attempting to transfer dormancy found in feed varieties to malting barley so the seeds don’t start to germinate in the field during a late harvest. At the same time, they do not want to reduce the quality of the barley kernels during the malting process, when they need to sprout.
Another project is looking for genes that improve a plant’s water-use efficiency, expected to be completed in about a year. Then researchers would work to isolate the water-efficiency trait and see if it could be used in a breeding program.
