The mission of Kansas Wheat Alliance is to strengthen the wheat industry by funding research to improve wheat varieties. This past week we got to do just that. Nov 5-6 was the Industry Advisory Board Meeting of the Wheat Genetics Resource Center (WGRC). The WGRC provides a central place for public and private institutions to pool resources and fund consequential wheat genetics research. KWA is one of nine industry partners that fund the WGRC.
Projects at the WGRC focus on bringing genetic diversity from wild relatives into high performing wheat varieties. The WGRC also curates a gene bank of wheat and wild relatives of wheat from all over the world that it continually updates. This ensures that researchers can cast a wide net when looking for genetic improvements.
Some of the wheat genetic breakthroughs funded by the WGRC include: Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus resistance genes Wsm1 and Wsm3, various leaf, stem, and stripe rust resistance genes, Fusarium Head Blight resistance genes, Hessian fly resistance genes, and more.
Examples of projects currently funded by the WGRC include:
- Wheat Stem Sawfly resistance in wild wheat introgressions
- Identifying milling and baking quality genes in wild relatives
- Using plant genetics to modulate the human gut microbiome
- Root architecture improvements for more drought tolerant wheat
- Sharp roots for improved penetration of hard and dry soils
At the meeting, scientists and students working on these projects provided updates and current findings to the funding partners. Afterward, researchers and industry partners discussed potential future investigations into wheat genetics. KWA is proud to support the mission of the WGRC and wheat research across the nation.
To learn more visit the WGRC website here: WGRC Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC)
