Location: Wheat Health, Genetics, and Quality Research
Project Number: 2090-30600-001-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: May 6, 2025
End Date: May 5, 2030
Objective:
Objective 1: Enhance end-use quality and nutrition of Western wheat and pulses using food chemistry and genetics.
Sub-objective 1.A: Elucidate how endogenous wheat lipids impact end-use quality and investigate their source of variability.
Sub-objective 1.B: Determine sources of variability in fatty acid profiles in wheat, peas, and chickpeas grown in the Western U. S.
Objective 2: Develop wheat germplasm with superior and/or novel end-use quality and nutritional characteristics.
Sub-objective 2.A: Develop wheat population with mutations in FAD2 genes to increase monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid, 18:1) and reduce polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid, 18:2 and a-linolenic acid, 18:3) in wheat.
Sub-objective 2.B: Develop germplasm with unique combinations of arabinoxylan and resistant starch.
Objective 3: Develop and verify new methods for determining quality and nutritional traits in wheat and pulses to enhance their marketability.
Sub-objective 3.A: Develop a rapid, simple, user-friendly method to identify partial-waxy wheat grain.
Sub-objective 3.B: Develop rapid method for the determination of fatty acid profile in wheat and pulse flour.
Sub-objective 3.C: Implement rapid arabinoxylan and starch digestion methods to assist in fiber screening.
Objective 4: Evaluate and report the milling, processing, and intrinsic end-use quality parameters of pulse and wheat cultivars of all market classes as part of a congressionally designated direct mission of service.
Sub-objective 4.A: Provide support for cultivar development and variety release of new wheat cultivars.
Sub-objective 4.B Provide support for cultivar development and variety release of new pulse cultivars.
Approach:
This project enhances wheat and pulse quality and nutrition in the Western U.S. by providing the knowledge and methods to breed better cultivars. Over the next five years, we will achieve four primary objectives. The first objective is to enhance end-use quality and nutrition of Western wheat and pulses using food chemistry and genetics. This will be accomplished by identifying novel lipid traits to enhance functionality, improving flavor and extending shelf-life of foods made with wheat and pulses, and by investigating the sources of variability of these lipids using genotype by environment studies. The second objective is to develop wheat pre-breeding germplasm with superior and/or novel end-use quality and nutritional characteristics. This will be accomplished by creating novel pre-breeding germplasm populations to study and disseminate novel lipid and dietary fiber traits. The third objective is to develop and verify new methods for determining quality and nutritional traits in wheat and pulses to enhance their marketability. The fourth objective is to evaluate and report the milling, processing, and intrinsic end-use quality parameters of pulse and wheat cultivars of all market classes as part of a congressionally designated direct mission of service. This work will ensure that millers and food processors have superior food ingredients, farmers grow high-value crops and consumers have appealing, nutritious, and less expensive foods. Production of superior wheat and pulse cultivars makes the U.S. more competitive abroad and U.S. agriculture more sustainable.