Our Mission

To provide basic knowledge and improved germplasm for developing, maintaining, and improving hard red spring wheat, durum wheat, barley, and oat.

Major Issues

Disease resistance, improved marketability, and improved end-use quality are major issues being addressed by this research unit. These issues are particularly significant to the upper Midwestern U.S., one of the nation's leading production regions for wheat, barley, and oats.

Geneticists, pathologists, food technologists, and chemists investigate the genetics of disease resistance and other agronomic and quality traits, host-pathogen interactions, and the many factors affecting end-use quality of wheat, barley, and oat.

Research Projects

Enhancing Wheat Germplasm through Improved Disease Resistance, Quality, and Agronomic Performance

Accessions of alien species with useful genetic variation, such as resistance to Fusarium head blight (scab) and stem rust are being evaluated, the inheritance of useful traits determined, and useful traits incorporated into durum and bread wheat germplasm. Pathogenic variability in the stem rust fungus is being studied and developed by induced mutation and recombination for use in searching for new genetic mechanisms of resistance to stem rust. Research also involves mapping of the wheat genome and cloning of agronomically important genes. This project relates to National Programs 301 (Plant, Microbial, and Insect Genetic Resources, Genomics, and Genetic Improvement) and 303 (Plant Diseases).

Genomic Relationships and Germplasm Enhancement of Wheat by Classical and Molecular Techniques

Research involves genetic and cytogenetic studies with the intent to improve wheat germplasm through the transfer of desirable traits from perennial grasses and through genetic transformation by direct introduction of foreign DNA. This project also seeks to improve techniques for making successful wide crosses with wheat, and to facilitate a better understanding of genome relationships, gene introgression, and fertility restoration in wide crosses. Research in this project is part of National Program 301 - Plant, Microbial, and Insect Genetic Resources, Genomics, and Genetic Improvement.

Genetic Improvement of Barley

The goal of this project is to improve barley through the use of modern genetic technology, with a major focus currently on Fusarium head blight and its toxin deoxynivalenol (DON). The genetics of resistance is being evaluated, and elite germplasm expressing genes that may provide protection from Fusarium species and other fungi is being developed. This research is relevant to the analysis and modification of plant genomes component of National Program 302 (Plant Biological and Molecular Processes), but also involves the integration of traditional and molecular techniques for genetic improvement (National Program 301, Plant, Microbial, and Insect Genetic Resources, Genomics, and Genetic Improvement).

Host-Virus Interactions in Barley

Host-virus interactions are being studied with the intention of achieving a better understanding of the mechanisms of viral pathogenicity and host resistance. Factors that contribute to virus survival and pathogenicity, such as seed transmission, viral movement, virulence, and host specificity are being examined as part of investigations of the relationships between viral genome structure, gene expression, and phenotype. The nature of host resistance to virus infection is also being investigated. These investigations relate directly to ARS National Program 303, Plant Diseases, and contribute to NP303 components concerning pathogen biology, genetics, spread, host-vector relationships, and host plant resistance.

Physical and Biochemical Properties of Hard Red Spring and Durum Wheat

Interactions of the physical and biochemical properties of early generation lines and commercial cultivars are being investigated. Objective methods for the measurement of these physical and biochemical properties are being developed and tested for their applicability to the evaluation of milling, baking, and processing quality. Quality evaluations are performed annually on several thousand samples of hard red spring and durum wheat in cooperation with a number of wheat breeding programs and the milling and baking industries. This research is a component of National Program 306 - New Uses, Quality, and Marketability of Plant Products.

Oat Improvement for Food, Feed, and Value-Added Applications

Properties associated with oat grain quality, with emphasis on characteristics of soluble fiber, are being investigated. Included are studies concerning the genetic variability and environmental stability of quality traits and factors affecting quality. Some factors essential to improved quality and nutritional characteristics include groat percentage, groat composition, and disease resistance. Close collaboration with an oat breeding program on the characterization of quality traits and incorporation of these traits into new oat cultivars is also a significant aspect of this project. Evaluates factors affecting oat quality, generates new and improved means to evaluate oat quality, and interacts with oat breeding program to generate improved cultivars. This project is a part of National Programs 306 (New Uses, Quality, and Marketability of Plant Products) and 301 (Plant, Microbial, and Insect Genetic Resources, Genomics, and Genetic Improvement).