Grainswest - Spring 2019

Spring 2019 Grains West 48 Genetic research aims to improve the earliness of spring wheat Frostbeaters GRAIN SCIENCE NEWS SPRING WHEAT IS WESTERN Canada’s most significant crop. In the northern Prairies, though, much of the wheat grown for bread ends up being downgraded due to frost damage. This creates difficulties for farmers at harvest, but also impacts their bottom line. Dean Spaner, a University of Alberta Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmen- tal Sciences professor, is addressing the problem in a research project funded by the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC). The initiative will examine early-maturity traits in the hopes of addressing the challenge. The project will screen varieties of Canadian spring wheat that are not com- mercially available for genes that provide early maturity, said Spaner. The goal is to develop early-maturing varieties that don’t compromise yield and quality. Spaner has been the principal wheat breeder at the University of Alberta for 18 years. The institution maintains the most northerly CWRS breeding program in Canada. Location is everything in breed- ing programs, as it influences regionally important traits by proxy. “We have a natural selection for earli- ness because, even if we select for yield, we’re going to be selecting adaptability to this climate, which is among the shortest growing seasons in North America,” said Spaner. The difficulty, though, is high yield and early maturity are negatively correlated, as are high protein and yield. There are three main genetic pathways that control early maturity: photoperiod response genes, vernalization genes and what are termed “earliness per se genes.” All three assist in regulating flowering time and time to maturation, but the first two are well-known to science. Spaner’s study involves mapping the earliness per se genes to determine if they can be used for selection—to choose appropriate parent plants for breeding. It’s a tricky process, and the work is time consuming. Spaner and his team will screen approxi- mately 100 to 150 CWRS varieties. In 2018, Spaner and his research team developed five varieties that were ap- proved for registration. One of these, Para- ta—registered in 2016 and now marketed by SeCan—matures four days earlier than AC Carberry and may be a potential replacement for AAC Redwater. Lauren Comin, AWC director of re- search, said Spaner’s work is immensely important to Alberta farmers, especially to those in the northern regions where frost and winter weather tend to come earlier and growing seasons are greatly reduced. There is a wide spectrum of growing environments within Alberta, she said, many of which are subject to unpre- dictable weather patterns year-round. “Each year, this is a gamble,” said Comin. “Springs can be too cold or too wet to get in to get seeding early. We have seen snow in practically every month and, certainly, September is no stranger to wet, heavy snows and even frost. 2018 serves as a perfect example of when an early maturing variety may have made the difference between an easy to harvest, No. 1-grade crop and a lodged, frost-damaged mess. Early maturing va- rieties tip the odds in a producer’s favour when it comes to harvesting a high-quali- ty product,” she added. A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT While some folks blame climate change for the variability, Ralph Wright, head of agro-meteorology with Alberta Agricul- ture and Forestry (AF), said variability is normal. He points to AF’s Alberta Climate Seeded onMarch 31, 2016, in 0°C soil, this wheat plot reachedmaturity by Aug. 3.