Location: Sunflower Improvement Research
Project Number: 3060-21000-047-008-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2020
End Date: Aug 31, 2024
Objective:
Objective 1: Whole genome resequencing of a mapping population segregating for hull hardness, hull thickness, and oil content.
Objective 2: Measurement of hull hardness independent of hull thickness in the mapping population, and QTL mapping of the trait.
Approach:
To better understand hull thickness, its correlation with insect resistance and oil content, and enhance it for breeders and producers, we propose two objectives. The first is to resequence a mapping population of sunflower that is segregating for hull hardness, hull thickness, and oil content. Tissue will be provided by USDA-ARS in Fargo, for extraction and skim sequencing at CU or an external service lab. Variant calling and quality control will be conducted. The second objective is for a summer student to study the mapping population in the field, collect seed samples as the develop in the plant, and subject them to hull thickness and hull strength measurements via a penetrometer. These data and oil content will then be combined with the variant calls from the first objective to conduct QTL mapping of the traits for subsequent publication.
