Unraveling and stacking of grain protein genes in durum to keep pace with yield increases through breeding

Term: 3 years, beginning in 2021

Status: Ongoing

Funding Amount: $236,670

Lead Researcher(s): Dr. Yuefeng Ruan (Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Swift Current, SK)

Funding Partners: Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC)

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Project Description

Grain protein content (GPC) is an important trait in durum cultivar development and it is the major determinant in the nutritional value of grain and end-use product quality. GPC is a quantitative trait negatively correlated with grain yield making breeding for the simultaneous improvement of the two traits difficult. However, based on the recent findings by the research team, opportunity do exist to systematically stack favourable high protein alleles through marker assisted breeding.

Thus, this project focuses on understanding the genes involved in high yield and high protein in Canadian germplasm such as AAC GoldNet, a recently registered cultivar with simultaneous increase in yield and protein. The objective is to map and identify high grain protein content QTL and verify QTL that are “keeping pace” with grain yield improvement using double haploid populations. Gene-based KASP markers will be developed and that will allow for the characterization of GPC genes in elite breeding germplasm that can be used as parents in the breeding program to stack for protein concentration along with increased yield.