Project Number: 3607-43440-005-23
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: May 01, 2006
End Date: Jun 30, 2007

Objective:
1) Evaluate and identify the best quality soft wheats globally and make that information publicly available for use by breeding programs and the milling and baking industry. 2) Develop new methods of soft wheat quality evaluation to improve breeding and the ability of mills to source better quality wheat. 3) Develop improved cultivars of soft wheat using the best available germplasm and the development of novel combinations of non-transgenic traits.

Approach:
We propose to redirect work presently conducted by the University of Idaho to the Soft Wheat Quality Laboratory, Wooster, OH. 1) Evaluate and identify the best quality soft wheats. a. In eastern soft wheat breeding programs through expanded SRC quality evaluations of advanced and regional trials. b. Evaluate new soft wheat germplasm from Europe, Latin America, and China through germplasm exchange. 2) Improve methods of selecting for soft wheat quality. a. Continue work on improving SRC and other biochemical assays to improve selection methodologies for flour and whole grain products. b. Couple SRC methods mapping work of Wheat CAP grant to identify new genetic markers for wheat quality. 3) Identify new traits within the eastern soft wheat germplasm and in other sources to significantly improve soft wheat quality. Traits may include super-soft genotypes, novel puroindoline mutations, strong-gluten soft wheats, and starch synthesis mutations (Waxy and partial waxy). 4) Salary line will be used in conjunction with ARS funds to provide a staff scientist to work with the Ohio State University breeding program to evaluate soft wheat from Ohio State University, mapping populations from eastern U.S. germplasm and selected cultivars from international programs that may have utility for Kraft's international programs and for improving U.S. germplasm. 5) Dr. Souza in cooperation with the Ohio State University faculty and Dr. Kweon (USDA-ARS Wooster) will evaluate the soft wheat quality results of the Wheat CAP mapping program and work to identify applications for novel genes to improve specific end-use quality, including, but not limited to the GBSS (waxy) mutations. Seasonal labor and operating expenses will cover miscellaneous supplies required by the Soft Wheat Quality Laboratory to facilitate this work and the work outlined in point 1 of the proposed budget and plan of work. 6) Travel to visit international cooperators to review programs, identify potential collaborative projects on soft wheat and potential germplasm for exchange. a. Dr. Souza to travel to China in May to review cooperative research on nitrogen management for strong-gluten, soft wheats at Jiangsu Lixiahe Prefectural Agriculture Research Institute in Yangzhou Jiangsu Province and soft wheat quality requirements and product tests for China with Dr. Zhounghu He at Beijing Agricultural Research University. b. Ohio State University staff scientist or Dr. Souza will travel to Argentina to review program of sourcing local wheat for biscuit and cracker production and evaluate cooperative soft wheat selection nurseries with INTA Castellar (Buenos Aires) and Buck Semillas (La Dulce).