Location: Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research
Project Number: 2050-21000-038-004-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2019
End Date: Jul 31, 2024
Objective:
To Identify previously un-tapped sources of genetic resistance to infection by Puccinia coronata f.sp. avenae in accessions held by the National Small Grains Collection and to utilize intercrossing to produce adapted oat lines carrying disease resistance alleles for use as germplasm in oat breeding programs.
Approach:
The National Small Grains Collection (NSGC) holds over 24,000 accessions classified in the Avena genus, including both cultivated oat and its wild relatives. Un-tapped genetic variation within these accessions has the potential to provide oat cultivars with new genetic resistance to diseases, including the economically important crown rust disease caused by Puccinia coronata f.sp. avanae. This project will evaluate Avena accessions in the NSGC identified by the ARS Principal Investigator (PI) as potentially un-tapped based on their history of disease screening and utilization in oat breeding. Resistance to crown rust disease will be scored by the Cooperators under field conditions and by the ARS PI under controlled conditions. Accessions identified as resistant to moderately resistant will be used as parents by the University Cooperator in intra- or inter-specific crossing programs. Techniques for crossing the resistance-donor parent with agronomically adapted parents will vary depending on species and may include traditional cross-pollination, embryo rescue and colchicine doubling. The University Cooperator will deliver F1 or F2 seed to the ARS PI for population development and genotyping. The ARS PI, ARS Cooperator and University Cooperator will evaluate the resulting populations for disease resistance and agronomic performance under fall-planted and spring-planted growing conditions. The ARS PI and University Cooperator will collaborate in mapping disease resistance genes. Characterization and mapping of crown rust resistance identified in the NSGC will ensure that the resistance deployed into subsequently released germplasm is both novel and effective.
