Starch is a major component of cereal grains and the size and shape of starch granules have significant impact on grain use. In wheat, there are two types of granules (A and B). The smaller, B-granules have negative impacts on many end-uses of wheat. To solve this problem, we have generated a new type of wheat, BlessT that lacks B-granules. This was achieved by identifying two regions of the genome harbouring genes required for B-granule initiation and then stacking deletions of these regions together in the same plant. A Pathfinder Report assessed the market potential of BlessT and concluded that the technology targets a number of large and growing markets. It identified how the changed processing ability of BlessT could be developed commercially. In this project, these targets will be pursued by providing: 1) Further data on processing properties 2) Bulk volumes of grain for further testing by potential commercial partners 3) Field trials that measure the effects on yield

Control of fertility and successful reproduction is key to grain set and thus crop yield in cereals. Self-pollinating crops tend to have lower yield capability than hybrids generated by intercrossing between elite lines. This "Hybrid Vigour" has been shown to increase yield, but also abiotic and biotic stress resistance. Hybrid crops thus provide opportunities to increase yield and productivity in a sustainable manner. However, the challenge for hybrid production is the need to avoid the natural tendency for many crops to self-fertilise prior to outcrossing, whilst ensuring effective cross-pollination for hybrid seed production. Mechanisms that control fertility in a reversible manner are critical to deliver such systems and this is a key goal for wheat breeding, since major yield enhancements are possible from hybrid wheat. Hybrid seed production also relies upon effective males to pollinate the female lines, therefore traits for optimal pollen production, viability and release are also of major importance. Wheat pollen development is particularly sensitive to environmental damage, with rapid reductions in viability post anthesis, combined with general sensitivity to abiotic stress (e.g. high and low temperature) during development. Reductions in fertility due to environmental stress are often seen in wheat crops and these can have major impacts on yield. Reproductive resilience to variable environmental conditions and abiotic stress is therefore critical to sustainable yields. This can only be delivered by detailed knowledge of pollen development and systems to regulate fertility. Deep understanding of cereal reproduction is therefore key to the development of wheat hybrid breeding systems. This proposal will address these issues by providing greater understanding of pollen development in cereals towards developing switchable systems for the control of wheat fertility, but also by identifying traits for enhanced pollen production and viability, particularly under environmental stress, which are critical for ensuring successful pollination in breeding programmes. By investigating the mechanisms behind these traits and by generating tools for breeding and selection, effective breeding to increase crop productivity and resilience will be realised. The project will use our progress in understanding cereal pollen development to develop systems for controlling cereal fertility, focussing on wheat. In addition introgression lines and breeding populations will be screened to identify traits for optimal fertilisation, including high pollen production, release and durability. These will be focused around the impact of environment, particularly temperature and day length, on pollen fertility. We will determine the benefit and stability of these traits in elite commercial germplasm, enabling their potential to be determined. We will also assess natural variation at these fertility loci and develop markers to enable these traits, which could potentially impact on fertility particularly under different environmental conditions, to be followed in breeding populations.

Iin BBSRC Project BB/F014295/1 we identified genes whcih are responsible for determing the soluble non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) content and extract viscosity of wheat grain. Using a GM approach to suppress the action of these genes, we produced wheat plants where NSP content and extract viscosity was lowered by 70-80%. This low-viscosity property would be highly desirable in wheat varieties for whisky and animal feed uses, however a GM approach is not possible due to regulatory costs and consummer resistance. Here we intend to start developing a low-viscosity wheat using the non-GM approach of TILLING to find versions of these genes (alleles) which are inactive. By the project end, we will have identified such alleles for all the target genes and established whether they confer the low-viscosity property and check that there are no adverse effects. Our breeding partner will then begin the process of inroducing these alleles into commercial wheat varieties.

Diseases of crops present major threats to the security of food supplies throughout the world. In the UK, our more important crop, wheat, is challenged by several significant harmful organisms including fungi, viruses and insects. Food production which is environmentally and economically sustainable requires crop yields to be maintained despite attacks by these pathogens. The two main pillars of disease control in arable crops are pesticide applications and the cultivation of resistant varieties. New legislation by the European Union will prevent increasingly severe obstacles to the introduction and use of pesticides from 2014 onwards, especially after 2018. Improved disease resistance is an important objective for wheat breeding but will become even more crucial to project food production in the UK once the new EU regulations come fully into effect. Almost all research on plant diseases, whether of crops or model species, focuses on single diseases. In field conditions, however, it is normal for crops to be attacked by epidemics of several pests and parasites simultaneously. This proposal takes a novel approach to researching the genetics of resistances to multiple diseases and their impact on yield. A particularly important goal is to identify genes for resistance to one disease which neither reduce yield nor increase susceptibility to other, non-target diseases. We will achieve this aim using association genetics, an approach which has proved extremely powerful in research on the genetics of disease and other traits in human populations. We will study a panel of 480 wheat varieties, including varieties which are commercially significant at present and their progenitors. We have chosen to study the four main diseases caused by fungi that attack the leaves of wheat plants. Together, these diseases present the main actual and potential threats to yield of wheat in UK conditions. There is currently good resistance in UK wheat varieties to powdery mildew and it is important that this desirable situation continues. Resistance to Septoria tritici has improved over the last ten years but this is still the most important wheat disease. Resistance to yellow rust is generally good by international standards but is often not durable, being quickly overcome through evolution of virulence in the fungus. There have been severe epidemics of brown rust in the UK in recent years and it is important that the average level of resistance of our wheat varieties to this disease is improved. An important goal is to generate a resource for use by the whole wheat research community. The association genetics analysis and the associated data, seed and DNA stocks will be a excellent resource for research on traits which are currently important. It will also, however, enable breeders and geneticists to respond to new threats, such as diseases which become important rapidly as a result of climate change or new agronomic practices; this has happened recently with Ramularia leaf spot of barley in northern Europe, including the UK. In summary, the association genetics approach will enhace current wheat breeding, especially for disease resistance, and enable us to be forearmed against future challenges.

Turnip yellows virus (TuYV) is a damaging pathogen severely reducing yields of oilseed rape (OSR) (3rd most widely grown crop in UK). UK losses are estimated at >15%, costing £69 million/annum. It also significantly reduces the yield (up to 65%) and quality of brassica vegetables (e.g. cabbage and sprouts). In earlier BBSRC-funded research, we identified sources of natural plant resistance to TuYV that were effective against the different strains of TuYV. The aim of the proposed research is to work together with commercial plant breeders from different companies to provide plant lines with our resistances to TuYV and tools (molecular markers) needed for our commercial partners to move the resistances in to commercial OSR and vegetable brassica crop varieties. The breeding of the virus-resistant varieties will increase yields, thereby helping food security and also reduce the amounts of pesticides farmers spray on crops, in attempts to stop the greenfly vectors spreading TuYV