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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » WHGQ » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #297788
Title: Registration of Zak ERA8 soft white spring wheat germplasm with enhanced response to ABA and increased seed dormancy

Author
item Martinez, Shantel
item SCHRAMM, ELIZABETH - Washington State University
item Harris, Tracy
item KIDWELL, KIMBERLEE - Washington State University
item Garland-Campbell, Kimberly
item Steber, Camille

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Registrations
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/14/2014
Publication Date: 2/14/2014
Publication URL: https://www.crops.org/publications/jpr/articles/8/2/217?highlight=&search-result=1
Citation: Martinez, S., Schramm, E.C., Harris, T.J., Kidwell, K.K., Garland Campbell, K.A., Steber, C.M. 2014. Registration of Zak ERA8 soft white spring wheat germplasm with enhanced response to ABA and increased seed dormancy. Journal of Plant Registrations. 8(2)217-220. DOI: 10.3198/jpr2013.09.0060crg.

Interpretive Summary: Mature wheat grain can germinate on the mother plant if it gets rained on before the farmer has a chance to harvest it. This preharvest sprouting results in financial losses to farmers when the grain must be sold as feed instead of being used to make flour. This is because initiation of germination breaks down the starch in the grain, so that when it is ground into flour it makes bread that won't rise properly. The released line, ZakERA8 contains, a new gene that increases seed dormancy thereby preventing germination on the mother plant.

Technical Abstract: ZakERA8 is a unique mutant line selected from mutagenized soft white spring 'Zak' that has increased seed dormancy as a result of enhanced responsiveness to the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) during germination. This germplasm was developed by USDA-ARS, Pullman, WA in collaboration with Washington State University. The ERA8 mutation was generated by EMS mutagenesis, and selected for the inability to germinate on ABA concentrations too low to impede wild-type Zak seed germination. The resulting ABA hypersensitive mutants have increased seed dormancy. The rationale is to use increased the seed dormancy to prevent preharvest sprouting at maturity. The semi-dominant ZakERA8 line has been backcrossed to normal Zak, resulting in end-use quality and agronomic traits similar to those of the original Zak cultivar.