News

• New FHB1 KASP Marker: We have developed a new KASP marker for FHB1 which is at the functional site within the TaHRC gene. A publication on this discovery is pending. See the 2018 marker publication below.
  
  

Recent Publications

• Development and validation of diagnostic markers for Fhb1 region, a major QTL for Fusarium head blight resistance in wheat, 2018
• Mapping and characterization of the new adult plant leaf rust resistance gene Lr77 derived from Santa Fe winter wheat, 2018
• QTL mapping of pre-harvest sprouting resistance in a white wheat cultivar Danby, 2018
• Wheat resistance to Fusarium head blight, 2018
• Registration of ‘Avery’ Hard Red Winter Wheat, 2018

 More Publications 

Current Research Projects

• Improving Barley and Wheat Germplasm for Changing Environments
• Development of Abiotic Stress-Resistant Germplasm
• Development of High-Throughput Markers for Genetic Improvement of Wheat for Multiple Traits
• Genetic Improvement of Hard Red Winter Wheat to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses

   More Projects    

Goals and Objectives

The goals of the USDA Central Small Grain Genotyping Center in Kansas:

1. Conduct research to accelerate the breeding process by identifying novel DNA markers and genes for important wheat traits.

2. Use markers to select desired wheat genotypes.

3. Provide feedback to breeders seeking to create new cultivars in response to specific challenges such as newly emergent plant pathogens or changing global weather patterns.

Our specific objectives:

1. Maximize the efficiency of plant breeding programs by applying high-throughput DNA marker-assisted selection (MAS) technology, resulting in the early release of superior germplasm and cultivars.

2. Develop new and robust DNA markers associated with resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and end use quality in wheat through next generation sequencing and functional gene cloning.

3. Fingerprint a core set of cultivars and their breeding parents with DNA markers to develop molecular marker profiles for these cultivars, which will be cross-linked to other genetic information currently available in other USDA databases.

4. Exploit new technologies such as next generation sequencing and other high throughput genotyping technologies for gene discovery and genomic selection in breeding programs.

5. Provide training and consultation on marker analysis to breeders and other scientists.