2006 Annual Report 4d.Progress report. This report serves to document research conducted under a Specific Cooperative Agreement between ARS and the University of Minnesota North Central Research and Outreach Center. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent CRIS, 3640-21000-022-00D "Wildrice Breeding and Germplasm Improvement." This report is divided into three sections to address the project's three-fold objective. Variety development: The breeding population K2EF-C6 has been screened for three cycles for nonshattering genotypes at the major shattering locus, using the simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker RM106. So far, 152 plants of cycle 3 have been tested using RM106, identifying 51 useful plants that carried the non-shattering band to comprise cycle 4. Because this marker is dominant, the progeny of each of the 51 families of cycle 4 were grown and tested again in the greenhouse. Only 9 of the 51 families were found to be not segregating. Progeny of these cycle 5 families were grown to increase seed in the greenhouse. This seed was planted as an on-station field increase in 2006 for possible release in 2007, pending approval by the Crop Variety Review Committee. Using inoculum production and delivery methods developed for growing inoculum for the diseases Fungal Brown Spot (caused by Bipolaris oryzae), Spot Blotch (B. sorokiniana), and stem rot (caused by the two Bipolaris species and Nakataea sigmoidea), 17 advanced breeding populations were selected for resistance to these diseases as well as other traits. Genetics: A visiting scientist working in the wildrice genetics lab has screened numerous SSR markers to develop a set of eight markers that may be used to differentiate between natural and cultivated wildrice populations. Genetic resources: Through collaboration with the visiting scientist, collections were made of wild populations in Minnesota and Wisconsin for the purpose of characterizing the genetic differences and confirming the usefulness of the markers.