Program Director's Recommendation 1338897 Kansas State University; Bikram Gill 1338906 Colorado State University; Patrick Byrne
Kansas State University (KSU), as the lead institution, will partner with Colorado State University to establish an I/UCRC for Wheat Genetics that will build upon the already existing Wheat Genetics Resource Center (WGRC) at Kansas State University. The Center proposes to overcome challenges facing the wheat industry partners, and that will strategically and efficiently derive value from the wealth of genetic diversity in the Wheat Genetics Resource Center (WGRC).
The proposed Center will focus on developing new methods for using wheat genetic diversity, both natural and induced, to solve problems for farmers and end users of wheat. Industry members will provide market awareness, ensuring delivery of traits important to end-users. WGRC's goal will be to significantly reduce the market-ready time by providing novel traits in elite genotypes. WGRC will develop and apply innovative methods to incorporate novel, high-value traits in wheat breeding programs for sustainable and profitable crop production. WGRC houses one of the worlds premier collections of wheat germplasm and genetic tools, routinely capitalized in applied breeding programs worldwide.
The project will have significant broader impacts in a number of areas. Wheat is a critical source of protein, and world health depends upon production which has been impacted by climate change. A doctoral program in seed and wheat breeding will be an element of the program and is clearly needed. Over the last few years, the researchers involved in the center have had significant impact through providing industrially relevant education to a large number of students, including many from underrepresented groups.
