Location: Sunflower Improvement Research
Project Number: 3060-21000-047-024-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 5, 2025
End Date: Dec 15, 2026
Objective:
The long-term goal of this project is to develop Predictive Crop Performance tools to ensure North Dakota's public sector crops are resilient. To achieve this, genotypic and phenotypic performance data will be used to predict which F4 to F6 lines should be advanced to replicated yield trials across multiple environments. Data will also help determine which crosses are predicted to produce lines with the desired agronomic traits, disease resistance, and end-use quality sought by farmers and end-users. Our objectives to support our overall goals are: 1) assess the species-wide genotypic variability of public sector crops in North Dakota by developing reference genome assemblies and annotations of lines representing the important variability found in the NDSU breeding programs; 2) determine the variability of breeding lines in the NDSU breeding programs; and 3) identify genetic factors associated with resilience of ND public crops.
Approach:
Over the next two years, the objectives will be achieved through the following approaches. 1) Continue efforts to obtain complete reference genome sequences of additional varieties of common bean and barley. For common bean, wild genotypes representing the Middle American and Andean gene pools will be sequenced. Additionally, two domesticated Race Grenada members of the Andean gene pool and one Race Peru member of the Andean gene pool will also be sequenced. Full reference genome sequences and annotations will be generated for four barley genotypes representing the diversity of the NDSU barley breeding program. The sequencing will include RNA analysis from tissues affected by abiotic or biotic stresses. These efforts will involve collaboration between NDSU and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. 2) Build a knowledge base of advanced breeding lines of barley and common bean, currently being improved for specific traits such as enhanced performance, disease resistance, and end-use quality. 3) Integrate the genotypic and phenotypic data collected from these activities for common bean, barley, and potato into the NDSU phenotype and genotype databases. This integration will support the efficient use of these data for genomic selection and decision-making related to line advancement. Ultimately, these activities aim to develop and deploy tools, including software and SNP arrays, to accelerate the development and release of improved, resilient crop varieties suited for the public sector.