Rapid generation advancement in winter wheat
AssigneePurdue Research Foundation
InventorFrederick B. Maas, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods for rapidly advancing wheat generations towards a winter wheat objective, including crossing a winter wheat line with a donor line having a dominant minimal vernalization gene, breeding the offspring from that cross, and selecting to recover wheat plants having the winter growth habit. The breeding process may include selection for the minimal vernalization trait. The offspring resulting from the breeding process may also be crossed with a winter wheat before selection for the winter growth habit. The donor line includes a dominant vernalization gene and also in some cases a gene or genes for a desired trait.
Claims24
A method for rapidly advancing wheat generations to develop a winter wheat plant, comprising:
- (a) crossing a winter wheat line having a winter growth habit with a donor line having a dominant minimal vernalization gene;
- harvesting first seed from said crossing step;
- and planting the first seed to yield first offspring that are heterozygous for the minimal vernalization gene, and have a spring growth habit and are capable of advancing three or more generations per year;
- (b) conducting a breeding program which includes advancing three generations of progeny of the first offspring within a one-year period, said advancing three generations of progeny including harvesting seed resulting from the breeding of progeny of an immediately prior generation, planting the seed, and breeding plants produced from the seed, said breeding including selecting for plants carrying the minimal vernalization gene;
- (c) after conducting said breeding program, selecting to recover wheat plants having winter growth habit;
- and
- (d) harvesting and planting the seed of the wheat plants selected in step (c) to produce winter wheat plants with winter growth habit.
A breeding method for producing a winter wheat carrying a gene of interest, comprising:
- (a) crossing a first winter wheat line having the vernalization genotype vrn/vrn with a spring wheat line having the vernalization genotype Vrn/Vrn;
- harvesting first seed from said crossing step;
- and planting the first seed to produce a heterozygous wheat having the vernalization genotype Vrn/vrn;
- (b) introducing the gene of interest into said heterozygous wheat, said introducing resulting from the spring wheat line in step (a) carrying the gene of interest or from crossing the heterozygous wheat with one or more additional wheat lines carrying the gene of interest, harvesting seed from said crossing, and planting the harvested seed;
- and
- (c) breeding the heterozygous wheat, said breeding including advancing three generations of progeny of the heterozygous wheat per year by harvesting seed resulting from the breeding of progeny of an immediately prior generation, planting the seed, and breeding plants produced from the seed;
- and
- (d) crossing plants from said breeding step (c) with a wheat plant having a vrn gene, harvesting seed from said crossing, and planting the seed to produce a second winter wheat line having the vernalization genotype vrn/vrn and carrying the gene of interest.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.