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Frost-proof cereal production?

With new superhardy genes making their way into spring cereals, the prospect is not far off, says Dr. Brian Fowler.

Dr. Brian Fowler, University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre

Following the unpredictable weather of recent years, guaranteed frost protection is a crop trait near the top of most farmers' "pie in the sky" wish lists. But major improvements representing multi-million dollar savings are closer to reality than producers might think.

Scientists at the University of Saskatchewan have achieved a breakthrough by transferring the cold hardiness of winter wheat into a spring wheat line known as "Saskhardy #8," which will provide a building block for new varieties with superior frost tolerance. (For more information on spring wheat progress, view this story in Western Grains Research Magazine.)

"This follows years of work examining the genetics of cold hardiness," says Dr. Brian Fowler of the University of Saskatchewan's Crop Development Centre (CDC), who developed the new line with CDC colleague Dr. Dr. Allen Limin. "We've learned a lot about the genetics, and this opens broad potential for improvements among several different crops."

Rye genetics hold the strongest potential

With the spring wheat progress in hand, the researchers are shifting their focus to rye as a source of a further level of frost tolerance, says Fowler. Molecular markers - genetic tags that help researchers track important genes - were identified for cold tolerance in the spring wheat project and can now be used in rye.

"Rye is by far the most cold tolerant winter cereal and is the logical next candidate for gene identification, characterization and exploitation," says Fowler. "Progress in rye will go a long way to help us essentially 'frost proof' farmers' production systems."

Cracking the code for cold-tolerance in rye has been a long-standing challenge, but researchers are very optimistic on the heels of the spring wheat progress.

"Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to successfully exploit the superior cold tolerance genes of rye for cultivar improvement in related cereal species," says Fowler. "The superior cold tolerance of rye is suppressed and the wheat level of hardiness is all that has been achieved in the wheat/rye hybrid triticales."

"We've known that we must have a much clearer understanding of the genetic mechanisms that control low-temperature tolerance gene expression before we will have any hope of raising the frost hardiness of cereals like wheat or barley to that found in rye. The recent progress is a major step in that direction."

Fast-track opportunity

An opportunity to link more directly with leading genetics research organizations around the globe could shift the research into high gear, says Fowler. The University of Saskatchewan research group is targeting a lead role in a large international project with co-operating laboratories in Europe, North America and Asia, to apply the most recent advances in genomics technology to crop improvement challenges.

"This project would address the exploitation of the cold hardiness of rye in a wide range of crop improvement programs," says Fowler. "This would give Canada immediate access to the leading research programs in the world. It would also focus attention on the major opportunity for this research to pay large dividends in Western Canada and other regions of the world with harsh winters and short growing seasons."

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