Breeding optimization for end-use quality in soft white winter wheat

Authors: AOUN, MERIEM - Washington State University; CARTER, ARRON - Washington State University; Morris, Craig; Kiszonas, Alecia

Submitted to: Annual International Plant & Animal Genome Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/15/2021
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Genetic improvement of end-use quality is an important objective in wheat breeding programs to meet the requirements of grain markets, millers, and bakers. However, end-use quality phenotyping is expensive and laborious thus, testing is often delayed until advanced generations. To optimize breeding for end-use quality in a soft white winter wheat breeding program, we investigated the genetic architecture of 14 end-use quality traits, studied the effect of genotype × environment (G × E) interaction, and tested the effectiveness of genomic selection. Historical data on 672 advanced soft white winter wheat breeding lines and cultivars adapted to the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, which were genotyped using genotyping-by-sequencing, were used in this study. Association mapping (GWAS) identified 12 large effect loci, which can be useful for marker-assisted selection. The GWAS also illustrates that some end-use quality traits were mainly controlled by a larger number of small-effect loci and may be more amenable to alternate selection strategies such as genomic selection. Genetic correlations between environments based on factor analytic models showed low to moderate G × E interaction for most end-use quality traits and high G × E interaction for grain and flour protein concentration. Genomic prediction accuracies were high for most traits, thereby justifying the use of genomic selection to assist breeding for superior end use quality in soft white wheat. In conclusion, the optimization of the number of testing sites and the implementation of genotypic selection in early generations could render breeding for end-use quality more efficient.

Technical Abstract: Genetic improvement of end-use quality is an important objective in wheat breeding programs to meet the requirements of grain markets, millers, and bakers. However, end-use quality phenotyping is expensive and laborious thus, testing is often delayed until advanced generations. To optimize breeding for end-use quality in a soft white winter wheat breeding program, we investigated the genetic architecture of 14 end-use quality traits, studied the effect of genotype × environment (G × E) interaction, and tested the effectiveness of genomic selection. Historical data on 672 advanced soft white winter wheat breeding lines and cultivars adapted to the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, which were genotyped using genotyping-by-sequencing, were used in this study. Association mapping (GWAS) identified 12 large effect loci, which can be useful for marker-assisted selection. The GWAS also illustrates that some end-use quality traits were mainly controlled by a larger number of small-effect loci and may be more amenable to alternate selection strategies such as genomic selection. Genetic correlations between environments based on factor analytic models showed low to moderate G × E interaction for most end-use quality traits and high G × E interaction for grain and flour protein concentration. Genomic prediction accuracies were high for most traits, thereby justifying the use of genomic selection to assist breeding for superior end use quality in soft white wheat. In conclusion, the optimization of the number of testing sites and the implementation of genotypic selection in early generations could render breeding for end-use quality more efficient.