Project Number: 5440-21000-031-03
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Aug 01, 2011
End Date: Jul 31, 2016

Objective:
The main objective of this project is to evaluate newly derived wheat breeding lines from U.S. wheat breeding programs in south Texas field plantings for resistance to natural infestations of various rust pathogens. Information will be provided to originating programs for use in selection of breeding lines for cultivar release and for development of new experimental lines.

Approach:
80-100 entries from the USDA-ARS-coordinated SRPN and NRPN and 300-400 entries from the RGON will be planted at three locations in Texas, namely Bushland, Castroville, and McGregor. The material will be evaluated for resistance to natural infestations of leaf rust, stripe rust, and stem rust. Other observations will be recorded as appropriate. Information will be transferred to participating U.S. wheat breeding programs via USDA web-based reports. Great Plains wheat breeding programs will be invited to submit lines for evaluation in the Castroville nursery – this has averaged approximately 5,000 lines per year.