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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » WHGQ » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #384755
Research Project: Characterization of Quality and Marketability of Western U.S. Wheat Genotypes and Phenotypes

Location: Wheat Health, Genetics, and Quality Research

Title: Breeding for super soft kernel texture in white winter wheat

Author
item AOUN, MERIEM - Washington State University
item CARTER, ARRON - Washington State University
item Ward, Brian
item Morris, Craig

Submitted to: American Association of Cereal Chemists Meetings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/28/2021
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Grain hardness (kernel texture) is a key physical determinant of wheat milling and baking quality. Whereas hard wheat is used for making bread, soft wheat is used for making crackers, cookies, cakes, steam breads, and some Asian-style noodles. The distinction between soft and hard wheat is mainly due to the puroindoline genes. Recently, a novel kernel texture trait known as ‘super soft’ was discovered and reported to improve soft wheat processing and flour quality. However, the genetic basis underlying the super soft kernel trait is not yet well understood. We investigated the phenotypic and genotypic structure of the super soft kernel texture in a collection of 172 advanced soft white winter wheat breeding lines and cultivars adapted to the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Grain hardness was measured using the Single Kernel Characterization System. Ten super soft wheat lines including the cultivar ‘Jasper’ were identified. Phenotypic data collected on this wheat collection and molecular markers generated from genotyping-by-sequencing were used for association mapping. This allowed the discovery of seven genomic regions associated with grain hardness that were independent of the puroindolines. Two of them, located on chromosomes 3A at 260 mega base pairs (Mb) and 5A at 464 Mb, had large effects and reduced the hardness index by 11.7 and 13.1 on average, respectively. Four of the identified genomic regions on chromosome 2B, 3A, 3B, and 6B were not previously reported to be associated with grain hardness. The identified super soft wheat lines as well as the molecular markers associated with lower hardness index will be useful to assist breeding for this grain texture trait. Validation of these molecular marker effects in diverse genetic background is underway.