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Grain dormancy of wheat is closely associated with grain color: red-grained lines show higher dormancy than white-grained lines. The production of red pigments is regulated by R-1, Tamyb10 gene. However, the relation between grain color and dormancy remains unknown. For this study, we generated transgenic lines which were introduced a DNA fragment containing Tamyb10-D1 gene and its a 2 kb promoter including the 5′ untranslated region into white-grained wheat. Transgenic lines showed red-grained and higher dormant traits. Contents of plant hormones and gene expression of embryos at 30 days after pollination were examined in a wild type and a transgenic line. No differences were observed in the contents of plant hormones, but several genes are differentially expressed between these lines. One differentially expressed gene, TaLTP2.128, is a member of non-specific lipid transfer proteins. It was expressed higher in white grains than in red grains. A putative amino acid sequence showed similarity to that of OsHyPRP5, which is identified as QTL controlling low-temperature germinability in rice. Expression of TaLTP2.128 was increased by grain imbibition. The increasing levels were higher not only in other white-grained lines, but also in non-dormant red-grained lines. TaLTP2.128 was expressed at a quite early stage of germination. These study findings indicate that Tamyb10 regulates dormancy release by the modification of TaLTP2.128 acting as trigger of germination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) in Sorghum bicolor is one of the main constrains for its production in the central region of Argentina, as grain maturation often coincides with rainy or high environmental humidity conditions. The obtention of more dormant genotypes with higher PHS resistance has always been a desirable trait for breeders but the typical quantitative nature of seed dormancy makes its manipulation difficult through classical breeding. Dissecting this quantitative variability into quantitative trait loci (QTL) is a main concern especially in cereal species. In this work, a sorghum segregating population including 190 families was genotyped with microsatellite markers and the SbABI5 candidate gene. A genetic map encompassing 96 markers and a total length of 1331 cM was built. Seed dormancy was phenotyped in F and F panicles in two contrasting Argentinean environments (Castelar and Manfredi). Six seed dormancy QTL for mature grains were identified ( qGI- 1, qGI- 3, qGI- 4, qGI- 6, qGI- 7 and qGI- 9) with the aid of QTL Cartographer and QTLNetwork, three of them ( qGI- 3, qGI- 7 and qGI- 9) being co-localised by both approaches. No epistasis was detected for the identified QTL but QTL-by-environment interaction was significant for qGI- 7 and qGI- 9. Interestingly, seed dormancy candidate genes SbABI3/VP1 and SbGA20ox3 were located within qGI- 3, which makes them noteworthy candidate genes for this QTL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-harvest sprouting in spring wheat causes significant financial loss to growers throughout the world and sprouting damage can be reduced by growing resistant genotypes. Several genetic factors, especially those related to seed dormancy, are involved in the control of pre-harvest sprouting resistance. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) influencing pre-harvest sprouting resistance from multiple measures of dormancy at multiple germination intervals on seed harvested across multiple environments. A doubled haploid mapping population of 91 individuals derived from a cross of two Canadian white-seeded spring wheat genotypes, SC8021-V2 (pre-harvest sprouting resistant) and AC Karma (moderately susceptible to pre-harvest sprouting) was used for QTL mapping. Daily germination counts were analysed using germination index, germination resistance and percent germination at intervals of 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 and 21 days from spike samples collected from six field and one greenhouse environments in Saskatchewan, Canada. Continuous frequency distributions at certain measure-durations indicated genetic complexity of dormancy segregation in the SC8021-V2/AC Karma cross. Composite interval mapping detected significant ( p ≤ 0.05) QTL associated with resistance to pre-harvest sprouting on all 21 wheat chromosomes. Of the 26 total QTL, six were novel and the rest were detected either at the same marker or overlapping a marker interval reported in other studies. QTL expressed consistently for germination index, germination resistance and percent germination at different germination durations on chromosomes 2B, 4A, 5D and 6D. QTL identified on homoeologous chromosomes 4A, 4B and 4D with chromosome specific molecular variants of SSR marker wmc617 suggest a conserved region for controlling dormancy on group four. The majority of QTL mapped in regions known to contain factors affecting different components of pre-harvest sprouting resistance like seed dormancy, seed coat colour, ABA responsiveness and alpha-amylase activity. This study demonstrated that using multiple measures of seed dormancy at multiple intervals of germination enhanced identification of QTL affecting dormancy in white-seeded hexaploid wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tibetan semi-wild wheat ( Triticum aestivum ssp. tibetanum Shao) is a hexaploid wheat resource distributed only in Tibet that has an interesting type of seed dormancy in addition to hulled glumes and brittle spikelets. A whole-genome linkage map of T. aestivum ssp. tibetanum was constructed for a population of 186 recombinant inbred lines using 645 diversity array technology (DArT) markers, 127 simple sequence repeat markers and three R- 1 genotyping markers. Seed dormancy was evaluated at five post-ripening stages from 2010 to 2013. Comprehensive quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping by inclusive composite interval mapping analysis identified seven QTLs for seed dormancy, designated as Qsd.sau- 1B, Qsd.sau- 3A, Qsd.sau- 3B, Qsd.sau- 3D, Qsd.sau- 4A1, Qsd.sau- 4A2, and Qsd.sau- 7A, on chromosomes 1BL, 3AL, 3BL, 3DL, 4AS, 4AL, and 7AL, which explained 8.9, 7.2, 10.8, 7.0, 11.4, 9.4, and 12.7 % of phenotypic variation, respectively. Qsd.sau- 4A1 and Qsd.sau- 7A have only rarely been reported in domesticated common wheat but were prominent in T. aestivum ssp. tibetanum accession Q1028. Qsd.sau- 4A1 was associated with intense, short-duration dormancy and was recognized as an ideal QTL for wheat breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) of wheat greatly reduces the quality and economic value of grain, and PHS resistance is one of the most important traits in wheat breeding. Red-grained wheat varieties are generally more resistant to PHS than white-grained ones; however, some are still susceptible. The red pigment of red-grained wheat is synthesized through the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway, in which the dihydroflavonol-4-reductase gene ( DFR) is one of the genes involved in anthocyanin synthesis. In this study, a set of 120 red-grained Chinese wheat cultivars and lines with distinct PHS resistance were used to characterize TaDFR genotype variations and their association with PHS resistance. Whereas no variation or functional variation of TaDFR genes was detected on chromosomes 3A and 3D, a novel TaDFR allele, designated TaDFR- Bb, was explored on chromosome 3B. Compared with TaDFR- Ba, an 8 bp insertion (CTCTAGGA) was identified in the promoter region of TaDFR- B in most of the PHS resistant red-grained wheat varieties and advanced lines. Based on this, a CAPS marker was designed and validated with a set of Chinese red-grained wheat cultivars and lines with distinct PHS resistance. In most cases, TaDFR- Bb was associated with higher PHS resistance. An association study indicated that wheat varieties with the 8 bp insertion (average seed germination index 23.6 %) were significantly more resistant ( P < 0.01) to PHS than those without the insertion (average seed germination index 69.5 %). Further study on gene expression demonstrated that the insertion led to increased TaDFR- B expression in cultivars with PHS resistance. Transient expression of TaDFR- B in coleoptiles of wheat cv. Chinese Spring revealed that increasing TaDFR gene expression did not induce the synthesis of anthocyanins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between high malting quality and pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) susceptibility is a key challenge when developing new malting barley varieties. A new malting barley variety Baudin has successfully combined high malting quality and PHS tolerance. A doubled haploid population was developed for mapping PHS tolerance and seed dormancy from a cross of Baudin × AC Metcalfe using 233 molecular markers. Three QTLs were mapped for seed dormancy based on the standard germination test at 24, 48 and 72 h. One major QTL was mapped to the long arm of chromosome 5H controlling seed dormancy and PHS tolerance from Baudin. Two other minor QTLs were identified from Baudin on chromosomes 3 and 7H. QTL/QTL interaction was detected for seed dormancy between chromosomes 3 and 5H. The PHS tolerance allele of the 5H QTL from Baudin contributes to higher malt yield without significant impact on diastatic power, beta-glucan content and wort viscosity. QTL from Baudin provide new sources to integrate PHS tolerance and high malting quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain dormancy provides protection against pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) in cereals. Composite interval mapping and association analyses were performed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) contributing grain dormancy in a doubled haploid (DH) barley population (ND24260 × Flagship) consisting of 321 lines genotyped with DArT markers. Harvest-ripe grain collected from three field experiments was germinated over a 7-day period to determine a weighted germination index for each line. DH lines displaying moderate to high levels of grain dormancy were identified; however, both parental lines were non-dormant and displayed rapid germination within the first two days of testing. Genetic analysis identified two QTL on chromosome 5H that were expressed consistently in each of the three environments. One QTL (donated by Flagship) was located close to the centromeric region of chromosome 5H ( qSDFlag), accounting for up to 15% of the phenotypic variation. A second QTL with a larger effect (from ND24260) was detected on chromosome 5HL ( qSDND), accounting for up to 35% of the phenotypic variation. qSDFlag and qSDND displayed an epistatic interaction and DH lines that had the highest levels of grain dormancy carried both genes. We demonstrate that qSDND in the ND24260 × Flagship DH population is positioned proximal and independent to the well-characterised SD2 region that is associated with both high levels of dormancy and inferior malt quality. This indicates that it should be possible to develop cultivars that combine acceptable malting quality and adequate levels of grain dormancy for protection against PHS by utilizing these alternate QTL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistance to pre-harvest sprouting is an important breeding objective for cereal crops like barley and wheat. Seed dormancy, which determines the resistance or susceptibility to pre-harvest sprouting (PHS), is a complex trait. It is largely controlled by the antagonistic action of the plant hormones abscisic acid and gibberellic acid, but also has a large component of genotype × environment interaction. Recent studies have revealed a role for epigenetic changes through histone modification in controlling seed dormancy. However, the role of DNA methylation in seed development and dormancy is not known. In this study, we explored the role of ARGONAUTE4_9 class genes of the DNA methylation pathway in seed development and dormancy in barley. Our results show that the two AGO4_9 class genes in barley, i.e. AGO1002 and AGO1003, are preferentially expressed in ovaries at meiosis and in embryos 25 days after pollination (DAP). The expression of AGO1003 is two to fivefold higher than that of AGO1002 in these tissues, demonstrating differential expression of these genes. We also analysed the expression of AGO1003 in embryos of PHS-resistant and -susceptible varieties at 25 DAP and found a significant variation in the expression of this gene in seeds of dormant and non-dormant lines. The observed expression pattern of AGO1002 and AGO1003 suggests a possible role in sporogenesis and post-fertilization seed development. Indirectly these results imply a potential role of DNA methylation in seed development and seed dormancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last few decades, the physiological and genetic background of dormancy, and correlated pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) have been intensively investigated. Special attention has often been paid to genetic factors that may explain and predict PHS susceptible behaviour. A major candidate is the Vp1 gene which is involved in embryo development and maturation as well as in dormancy establishment. In this study, Vp1 gene expression during kernel development was studied in wheat, triticale and rye as a potential biomarker for selecting PHS tolerant varieties in cereal breeding programs. Plants of known PHS tolerant and PHS susceptible varieties were grown under controlled conditions from flowering until harvest ripeness. During that period, kernels were regularly harvested for RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis. Calibrated and normalized relative Vp1 expression levels were obtained in an RT-qPCR assay. During kernel development, Vp1 expression levels generally showed a typical peak during the soft dough stage, after which they decreased and remained low until harvest maturity. Differences in Vp1 expression levels could be observed between the PHS susceptible and PHS tolerant varieties of wheat, with the PHS tolerant variety showing higher levels of relative Vp1 expression compared to the PHS susceptible variety. In triticale, however, this difference was only seen once and could not be confirmed in further experiments. It seems that the Vp1 gene in triticale behaves in a similar way as in rye, in which no specific trends could be observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preharvest sprouting (PHS) in spring wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) and durum wheat ( T. turgidum L. var durum) causes significant economic losses due to a reduction in grain yield, grain functionality and viability of seed for planting. Average annual estimated losses in Canada are about $100 million. Genetic resistance to PHS reduces these losses. Development of PHS resistant cultivars is complicated by the effects of factors under genetic control, such as spike morphology, seed dormancy, environment, and kernel diseases. Resistance to PHS has been a breeding priority since the late 1960s. Development of RL4137, which is the primary source of PHS resistance in the Canada Western Red Spring market class, has led to cultivar improvements. A white-seeded derivative of RL4137 is the primary source of PHS in the Canada Prairie Spring White and Canada Western Hard White Spring wheat market classes. Procedures to select for PHS resistance vary among breeding programs, market classes and by degree of inbreeding. Methods include artificial sprouting of intact spikes, germination tests, natural weathering in field trials, artificial weathering trials, and indirect assessment of sprouting by measuring Hagberg falling number. Although many genetic loci have been attributed to preharvest sprouting resistance, application of molecular markers is currently limited due to the complex inheritance of the trait. In Canada, cultivars are characterized for their relative level of PHS resistance and the information is made available to producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) resistance is one of the most important traits in wheat breeding. Characterization of Viviparous- 1 ( Vp- 1) haplotypes in wheat related species will further our understanding of the role of Vp- 1 in PHS resistance of bread wheats. The present paper reported Vp- 1 haplotype analyzes of 77 accessions of wheat related species including T. monococcum and T. boeoticum (AA), T. durum (AABB), T. dicoccoides (AABB) and Ae. tauschii (DD). A total of 11 novel Vp- 1 haplotypes were identified in these species including three in T. monococcum which were designated as TmVp- 1A1, TmVp- 1A2, TmVp- 1A3, three in T. boeoticum, designated as TbVp- 1A1, TbVp- 1A2 and TbVp- 1A3, two in T. durum, designated as TduVp- 1B1 and TduVp- 1B2, and three in Ae. tauschii designated as AetVp- 1D1, AetVp- 1D2 and AetVp- 1D3, respectively. Among these haplotypes explored, TduVp- 1B1 was identical to TaVp- 1Be which was detected in a PHS resistant Chinese landrace. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that the presence of alternatively spliced transcripts of the Vp- 1 homologues in these wheat related species. The level of correctly spliced transcripts varies among the haplotypes, and was correlated with the degree of ABA responsiveness during seed germination. It appeared that Vp- 1 mis-splicing and some indel variations in bread wheats originated from its progenitors and were retained during polyploidization. Moreover, haplotypes with better Vp- 1 splicing such as TbVp- 1A2 of T. boeoticum and TduVp- 1B1 of T. durum species might be valuable in breeding PHS tolerant wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) can be a problem in malting barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) production as it results in lower yield and reduced grade. The presence of PHS is often associated with increased activity of α-amylase, a key enzyme for breakdown of starch into simple sugars. It is difficult to measure α-amylase activity (AA) associated with PHS however, and the same quantitative trait loci (QTL) may be responsible for both PHS AA and malt AA. The objective of this paper was to investigate co-occurrence and stability of QTL controlling malt AA in a barley doubled-haploid (DH) population that was evaluated in eight environments across North America. This population consisted of 150 DH lines developed from a cross between two barley varieties (Steptoe × Morex) for the North American Barley Genome Mapping Project. Malt AA was measured on a composite 400 g sample of each DH line and parent. There were a total of 223 restriction fragment length polymorphism markers covering a total genetic distance of 1221.9 cM across the entire genome. We used an empirical Bayesian method for detecting single QTLs and epistatic QTLs for individual environments. A common QTL was counted if it co-occurred in a pair of environments. Thus, the level of QTL × environment interaction was assessed based on the total frequency of co-occurred QTLs for all possible pairs of eight environments [(8 × 7)/2 = 28]. Heritability estimates (0.62-0.89) for individual environments were moderate to high. Genetic correlations between co-occurred additive and epistatic effects are essentially zero for most environment pairs. These results indicated strong QTL × environment interaction for malt AA. While the efficacy of genome-wide selection for PHS is still unknown especially in the presence of QTL × environment interaction, using the Bayesian approach may help us better understand appropriate methods for measuring and selecting for this trait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the isolation of wheat mutants in the hard red spring Scarlet resulting in reduced sensitivity to the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) during seed germination. ABA induces seed dormancy during embryo maturation and inhibits the germination of mature seeds. Wheat sensitivity to ABA gradually decreases with dry after-ripening. Scarlet grain normally fails to germinate when fully dormant, shows ABA sensitive germination when partially after-ripened, and becomes ABA insensitive when after-ripened for 8-12 months. Scarlet ABA-insensitive (ScABI) mutants were isolated based on the ability to germinate on 5 μM ABA after only 3 weeks of after-ripening, a condition under which Scarlet would fail to germinate. Six independent seed-specific mutants were recovered. ScABI1, ScABI2, ScABI3 and ScABI4 are able to germinate more efficiently than Scarlet at up to 25 μM ABA. The two strongest ABA insensitive lines, ScABI3 and ScABI4, both proved to be partly dominant suggesting that they result from gain-of-function mutations. The ScABI1, ScABI2, ScABI3, ScABI4, and ScABI5 mutants after-ripen more rapidly than Scarlet. Thus, ABA insensitivity is associated with decreased grain dormancy in Scarlet wheat. This suggests that ABA sensitivity is an important factor controlling grain dormancy in wheat, a trait that impacts seedling emergence and pre-harvest sprouting resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expression of seed dormancy related to germination temperature was studied in 25 wheat genotypes grown in the field at two locations near Zagreb and Županja in Croatia during 2008/2009 growing season. Germination tests were conducted at 15, 20 and 25 °C at harvest maturity (Time 1) as well as after 10 days (Time 2) and 15 months (Time 3) of seed after-ripening at room temperature, respectively. Significant ( P < 0.05) differences among locations (L), temperatures (T) and genotypes (G) as well as significant L × T, G × L, G × T and G × L × T interactions were observed for weighted germination index (WGI) at both Time 1 and Time 2. At Time 3 significant differences among genotypes for germination percentage were found only at the early stages of germination. The 25 wheat genotypes responded with decreasing WGI mean values (increasing dormancy) as temperature changed from 15 to 25 °C. The rate of dormancy increase with higher germination temperature varied among genotypes. Some genotypes, having similar values of WGI at 15 °C, significantly differed from each other at 25 °C and vice versa. This indicates that the range of germination temperatures included in the present study is useful when testing genotypes for their temperature-dependent dormancy potential. The number of genotypes with WGI values significantly different from the mean, as a measure of the power of germination test to detect differences in dormancy level among genotypes, as well as heritability estimates for WGIs were the highest at Time 1 for 15 °C and at Time 2 for 20 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few Chinese high yielding white-grained wheat cultivars possess sufficient dormancy to avoid pre-harvest sprouting (PHS). Because the field evaluation of PHS is difficult, the identification of informative molecular markers is a priority for improving the level of dormancy. In this report, the effectiveness of phenotypic and genotypic selection was compared. Four microsatellite loci Xbarc57, Xbarc294, Xbarc310 and Xbarc321, mapped on the short arm of chromosome 3A, were used for selection in white-grained wheat F lines which were also selected on the basis of their grain filling rate (GFR). One of these (later designated cv. Zhongmai911) was further selected on the basis of its allelic constitution at the four SSR loci. This cultivar combines a high level of PHS resistance with high grain yield. The results suggested that rapid GFR and PHS resistance can be bred simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) greatly reduces the quality and economic value of wheat grain. In this study, a total of 168 International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) wheat germplasm lines were examined to characterize the haplotypes of Vp- 1A, Vp- 1B and Vp- 1D, which are located on the long arms of chromosomes 3A, 3B and 3D, respectively. Among them, five new alleles of Vp- 1Aa (the wild allele) were identified on chromosome 3A, and designated as Vp- 1Ab, Vp- 1Ac, Vp- 1Ad, Vp- 1Ae and Vp- 1Af, respectively . The main difference between Vp- 1Aa and the newly identified alleles was in the numbers of CTT repeats located in the third intron, but Vp- 1Af also had 6 and 2 bp deletions at positions 2860-2865 bp and 2880-2881 bp, and possessed five SNPs within the same intron region. In the Vp- 1B locus, several alleles ( Vp- 1Ba, Vp- 1Bb, Vp- 1Bc, Vp- 1Bd, Vp- 1Be and Vp- 1Bf) have already been identified. In the present material only two, the already known allele Vp- 1Bc, and a new one, designated as Vp- 1Bg, were detected. Compared with Vp- Ba, Vp- 1Bg had additional insertion of TCC at position 2372 bp and a 9 bp change from CTGCATC AC to GCATCAGTG at 2417-2425 bp. However, no polymorphism was detected in Vp- 1D. The frequencies of Vp- 1Aa Vp- 1Ab, Vp- 1Ac, Vp- 1Ad, Vp- 1Ae, and Vp- 1Af were 65, 10, 11, 4, 5 and 5%, respectively. For Vp- 1B, 155 out of the 168 lines were Vp- 1Bc; the remaining 13 were Vp- 1Bg. Analyses of the germination index (GI) and abscisic acid (ABA) sensitivity showed that genotypes with Vp- 1Ab or Vp- 1Af showed higher PHS resistance than the ones with other alleles, suggesting that they might be valuable for CIMMYT breeding program or germplasm introduction. The results presented here will underpin the introduction of germplasm from CIMMYT and the improvement of PHS resistance, both in CIMMYT and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The allelic variations of Vp-1B have been confirmed to have close association with seed dormancy (SD) and pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) of Chinese wheat in previous research, but little was known regarding whether the alleles of two other orthologs of Vp1 on 3AL ( Vp-1A) and 3DL ( Vp-1D) are also present and related to these traits. In view of this, 11 primer pairs flanking the whole sequences of these two orthologs were designed to investigate their allelic variations. The results identified six alleles of Vp-1A using the primer pair A17-19 among 81 wheat cultivars and advanced lines, which were designated as Vp-1Aa, Vp-1Ab, Vp-1Ac, Vp-1Ad, Vp-1Ae, and Vp-1Af. Except for Vp-1Ac, the other five alleles were proven novel, but no allelic variation was found in Vp-1D. On sequence analysis of alleles of Vp-1A, five deletions were observed, all occurring in the same region holding many TTC repeats. Of the six alleles detected in this study, four ( Vp-1Aa, Vp-1Ac, Vp-1Ae, and Vp-1Af) were generally distributed in varieties exhibiting higher average germination index (GI, range 0.46-0.56) and spike sprouting (SS, range 39.6-49.4%); however, the alleles Vp-1Ab and Vp-1Ad were distributed in genotypes carrying higher SD (GI 0.19-0.26) and stronger PHS resistance (SS 12.3-17.2%). On Spearman correlation analysis, the allele Vp-1Ab had significantly negative correlation with GI (−0.479) and SS (−0.542) at the 0.01 level, and the three alleles Vp-1Aa, Vp-1Ac, and Vp-1Ae had significantly positive correlation with GI [0.311 (0.05 level), 0.401 (0.01 level), and 0.294 (0.05 level)] and SS [0.283 (0.05 level), 0.309 (0.05 level), and 0.266 (0.05 level)]. The other alleles, including Vp-1Ad and Vp-1Af, also exhibited correlation, albeit not significant, with these two traits. This negative correlation showed that Vp-1Ab helped to improve SD and PHS tolerance, but Vp-1Aa, Vp-1Ac, and Vp-1Ae appeared to exert the opposite effect. To further confirm the association between alleles of Vp-1A and the two traits, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population with 157 lines was genotyped using the primer pair A17-19, developed from the cross between Wanxianbaimaizi ( Vp-1Ab) and Jing411 ( Vp-1Ac). General linear model analysis indicated that variation in Vp-1A had a significant ( P < 0.001) association with the two traits, explaining 23.4% of the variation in GI and 16.7% of the variation in SS in the population across three crop seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) in developing wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) spikes is stimulated by cool and wet weather and leads to a decline in grain quality. A low level of harvest-time seed dormancy is a major factor for PHS, which generally is a larger problem in white-grained as compared to red-grained wheat. We have in this study analyzed seed dormancy levels at the 92nd Zadok growth stage of spike development in a doubled-haploid (DH) white wheat population and associated variation for the trait with regions on the wheat genome. The phenotypic data was generated by growing the parent lines Argent (non-dormant) and W98616 (dormant) and 151 lines of the DH population in the field during 2002 and 2003, at two locations each year, followed by assessment of harvest-time seed dormancy by germination tests. A genetic map of 2681 cM was constructed for the population upon genotyping 90 DH lines using 361 SSR, 292 AFLP, 252 DArT and 10 EST markers. Single marker analysis of the 90 genotyped lines associated regions on chromosomes 1A, 2B, 3A, 4A, 5B, 6B, and 7A with seed dormancy in at least two out of the four trials. All seven putative quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were contributed by alleles of the dormant parent, W98616. The strongest QTLs positioned on chromosomes 1A, 3A, 4A and 7A were confirmed by interval mapping and markers at these loci have potential use in marker-assisted selection of PHS resistant white-grained wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) in wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) is a significant problem. Introgression of genes controlling grain dormancy into white-grained bread wheat is one means of improving resistance to PHS. In this study seven dormant (containing the SW95-50213 and AUS1408 sources) × non-dormant crosses were produced to investigate the effectiveness of selection for grain dormancy in early segregating generations. Each generation (F1–F4) was grown in a temperature controlled glasshouse with an extended photoperiod (i.e. continuous light). F2 and F3 generations were subject to selection. Five hundred harvest-ripe grains were tested for germination over a 14 day period, and the 100 most dormant grains were retained and grown-on to produce the next generation within each cross. The response to selection was assessed through analysis of the time to 50% germination (G50) in the F2, F3 and F4 generations. In addition, changes in marker class frequencies for two SSR markers (barc170 and gpw2279) flanking a known quantitative trait locus (QTL) for grain dormancy on chromosome 4A were assessed in DNA from F2 plants selected from early germinating (non-dormant) and late germinating (dormant) phenotypic extremes within each cross. Selection for grain dormancy in the F2 and F3 generations effectively recovered the dormant phenotype in all seven crosses, i.e. the F4 generation was not significantly different from the dormant parent. Further, selection based on individual F2 grains changed marker class frequencies for the 4A dormancy QTL; in most cases eliminating the marker class homozygous for the non-dormant alleles. Application of this screening method will enable breeders to better select for grain dormancy and may lead to development of new cultivars offering effective resistance to PHS in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A framework linkage map comprising 214 molecular marker (SSR, AFLP, SAMPL) loci was prepared using an intervarietal recombinant inbred line (RIL) mapping population of bread wheat. The RIL population that was developed from the cross SPR8198 (red-grained and PHS tolerant genotype) × HD2329 (white-grained and PHS susceptible genotype) following single seed descent segregated for pre-harvest sprouting (PHS). The RIL population and parental genotypes were evaluated in six different environments and the data on PHS were collected. Using the linkage map and PHS data, genome-wide single-locus and two-locus QTL analyses were conducted for PHS tolerance (PHST). Single-locus analysis following composite interval mapping (CIM) detected a total of seven QTL, located on specific arms of five different chromosome (1AS, 2AL, 2DL, 3AL and 3BL). These seven QTL included two major QTL one each on 2AL and 3AL. Two of these seven QTL were also detected following two-locus analysis, which resolved a total of four main-effect QTL (M-QTL), and 12 epistatic QTL (E-QTL), the latter involved in 7 QTL × QTL interactions. Interestingly, none of these M-QTL and E-QTL detected by two-locus analysis was involved in Q × E and Q × Q × E interactions, supporting the results of ANOVA, where genotype × environment interaction were non-significant. The QTL for PHS detected in the present study may be efficiently utilized for marker-aided selection for enhancing PHST in bread wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of the availability of laboratory and field tests there is still a major problem to select pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) tolerant triticale varieties in a reliable, field-independent way. One approach to minimize the influence of environmental conditions and physio-morphological traits on PHS detection is using molecular genetic tools. The ‘viviparous’ Vp1 gene has been repeatedly described to play an important role in dormancy in wheat. A quantitative RT-PCR assay based on the expression of the Vp1 gene has been developed. Specific primers were designed for detecting Vp1 in both wheat and triticale. The expression levels of Vp1 were normalized using reference genes and relatively quantified with the comparative Ct-method. However, the first results indicate that the achieved Vp1 expression levels at 50 days post anthesis are not useful to select for PHS tolerance, both in wheat and triticale. This negative outcome so far is possibly due to the existence of several splicing events or to the late assaying moment in the kernel development, when Vp1 expression is found to be low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) of wheat greatly reduces the quality and economic value of grain, and PHS tolerance is one of the most important traits in wheat breeding. Two new Vp-1B alleles were identified in wheat genotypes with distinct PHS tolerance and ABA responsiveness and designated as Vp-1Bb and Vp-1Bc. These alleles had an insertion of 193-bp and a deletion of 83-bp in the third intron in the region of B3 domain, respectively. Further analysis indicated that different Vp-1B alleles showed different expression and responsiveness to ABA exposure at transcriptional level, implying that they may regulate PHS tolerance. Based on these alleles, a STS marker Vp1B3 was developed and validated among a set of 89 Chinese wheat accessions. The results indicated that Vp1B3 may be useful as an efficient and reliable co-dominant marker in the evaluation of wheat germplasm for PHS tolerance and marker-assisted breeding for PHS tolerant cultivars. Moreover, analysis of a collection of 490 EU winter wheat varieties revealed not only the prevalence of Vp-1B alleles but also a new allele Vp-1Bd which does not occur in Chinese wheats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preharvest sprouting (PHS) in spring wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) causes significant economic losses due to a reduction in grain functionality, grain yield and viability of seed for planting. Genetic resistance to PHS reduces these losses. Development of PHS resistant cultivars is complicated by the effects of genotype, environment, kernel diseases and spike morphological factors. RL4137 has consistently exhibited high levels of resistance to PHS over years and environments. The mean PHS scores of Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat cultivars with RL4137 in their ancestry are lower than that of CWRS wheat cultivars without. RL4137 has two mechanisms for PHS resistance, one associated with kernel color and the other not associated with kernel color. RL4137 was the source of PHS resistance in white wheats HY361, AC Vista, Snowbird, Kanata, and Snowstar, all of which had significantly lower PHS scores than the white-seeded check, Genesis. Known DNA markers relating to PHS were used to compare haplotypes with and without RL4137 in the ancestry. Coefficients of parentage also demonstrated the relationship. Because cultivars that have RL4137 in their ancestry were grown on about 77% of the spring wheat area for 2003–2007, RL4137 continues to contribute to protecting market grade from preharvest sprouting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) in spring wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) is a major downgrading factors for grain producers and can significantly reduce end-use quality. PHS resistance is a complex trait influenced by genotype, environment and plant morphological factors. A population of 185 doubled haploid (DH) lines from the spring wheat cross ‘RL4452/AC Domain’ were used as the mapping population to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with three PHS traits, germination index (GI), sprouting index (SI) and falling number (FN). Six major QTLs linked with PHS traits were mapped on bread wheat chromosomes 3A, 3D, 4A (2 loci), 4B and 7D. ‘AC Domain’ alleles contributed to PHS resistance on 3A, 4A (locus-2) and 4B, and ‘RL4452’ alleles contributed resistance on 3D, 4A (locus-1) and 7D. QTLs detected on chromosome 4B controlling FN ( QFN.crc-4B), GI ( QGI.crc-4B) and SI ( QSI.crc-4B) were coincident, and explained the largest amount of phenotypic variation in FN (22%), GI (67%) and SI (26%), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) causes immediate loss of seed viability, making barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) grains worthless for malting purposes. Grain dormancy release rate in barley crops is genetically and environmentally controlled. A 2 year experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of soil nitrogen and water availability during grain filling on the dormancy release pattern (and then on the PHS susceptibility) for five malting barley commercial cultivars. Drought and well-irrigated control treatments were imposed from anthesis onwards, and contrast nitrogen fertilization treatments were applied at tillering. Nitrogen availability showed no effects on dormancy release. Drought during grain filling accelerated dormancy release with respect to well-irrigated control in 2004, but not in 2005 year. Mean temperatures during the last stages of grain filling were much higher (ca. 6°C) in 2005 than in 2004, indicating that high-dormancy loss promoting temperatures had masked drought effects on dormancy release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) in wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) can be a significant problem, causing deleterious effects on grain quality. However, the adverse impacts of PHS can be reduced by introgressing genes controlling grain dormancy into white-grained bread wheat. Screening for grain dormancy typically involves germination testing of harvest-ripe grain grown in a glasshouse or field. However, the more uniform environmental conditions provided by temperature controlled glasshouses (i.e. controlled environmental conditions—CEC) may provide significant benefits for the assessment of grain dormancy. In this study, the dormancy phenotype of grain grown under CEC incorporating an extended photoperiod, was compared with 2 years of data from field grown material. Four dormant double haploid lines (derived from SW95-50213 and AUS1408) and two locally adapted non-dormant cultivars EGA Gregory and EGA Wills were compared in three replicated experiments grown under CEC (22 ± 3°C and 24 h photoperiod). The germination response of harvest-ripe grain was examined to assess the expression of grain dormancy. Two measures of germination, the predicted time to 50% germination ( G50) and a weighted germination index, both clearly differentiated dormant and non-dormant lines grown under CEC. In addition, levels of grain dormancy were similar to field-grown plants. These results demonstrated that CEC with an extended photoperiod can be used for rapid and reliable characterisation of grain dormancy in fixed lines of bread wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hard white wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) is a value-added product because of its processing advantages over red wheat; however, white wheat tends to be more susceptible to pre-harvest sprouting (PHS). To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with PHS tolerance, we developed a doubled haploid (DH) mapping population from the cross AC Domain (red seeded) × White-RL4137 (white seeded). A genetic map was constructed using microsatellite markers located on chromosome groups 3, 4, 5 and 6. A population of 174 DH lines was characterized for important aspects of PHS including sprouting index, germination index, Hagberg falling number and seed coat colour. A total of 11 QTLs were identified on group 3 chromosomes and on chromosome 5D. Seven QTLs associated with the PHS traits were found to be co-incident with seed coat colour on chromosomes 3A, 3B and 3D. The 5D PHS QTL was notable because it is independent of seed coat colour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) reduces the quality of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) and the economic value of the grain. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diversity of the Viviparous-1B ( Vp-1B) gene associated with PHS tolerance in a collection of 490 widely grown winter wheat varieties from central and northern Europe. Four alleles of Vp-1B were found in the wheat varieties tested, three of which ( Vp-1Ba, Vp-1Bb and Vp-1Bc) had previously been identified in Chinese wheat varieties. The fourth was a new allele which had a 25-bp of deletion in the third intron region compared with the nucleotide sequence of Vp-1Ba, and was designated as Vp-1Bd. The frequencies of different alleles in this set of European wheat germplasm were: Vp-1Ba (54%) > Vp-1Bc (21%) > Vp-1Bd (20%) > Vp-1Ba + c (4%) > Vp-1Bb (1%), with Vp-1Bb being present only in two French varieties, ‘Altria’ and ‘Recital’. In addition, the frequencies of the alleles differed in varieties from different European countries. For example, Vp-1Ba had the highest frequency (76%) in varieties included in the UK National List (NL), but was least frequent in the Recommended List (RL) of Sweden (19%). Similarly, Vp-1Bc was present with the highest frequency (58%) in wheat varieties from Sweden, and the lowest in UK NL varieties (8%) while Vp-1Bd had the highest frequency of 32% in German varieties, and the lowest in Sweden varieties with only 8%. The Vp-1Ba allele was present in over half of the UK wheat varieties tested but the frequency was lower in RL varieties than in NL ones. Furthermore, heterogeneities were found between Vp-1Ba and Vp-1Bc in the varieties from Sweden, Netherlands, Germany and UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important agronomic problems in the production of sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] in humid climates is pre-harvest sprouting (PHS). A molecular linkage map was developed using 112molecular markers in an F2 mapping population derived from a cross between IS 9530 (high resistance to PHS) and Redland B2 (susceptible to PHS). Two year phenotypic data was obtained. By means of interval mapping analysis, two significant QTL were detected in two different linkage groups with LOD scores of 8.77and 4.39. Each of these two QTL individually explained approximately 53% of the phenotypic variance, but together, in a two-QTL model, they explained 83% of the phenotypic variance with a LOD score of 12.37.These results were corroborated by a one-way ANOVA in which the four flanking markers of the most likely QTL positions displayed highly significant values in the F-test, and significant variation in trait expression was associated with marker genotypic classes. The four markers with highest effect in the one-way ANOVA were also detected in the second year replication of the F2 population, and significant genotype × environment interactions was observed. The putative relationship between PHS resistance in sorghum and the maize Vp1 gene is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphological features of the cereal ear, including awns, alter pre-harvest sprouting damage by changing the rate of water absorption during rainfall. In this paper, the potential for wheat ( Triticum sp.) arid barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) waxes to reduce sprouting by increasing water repellency of the mature ear has been examined. Six barley F2 populations segregating for different non-glaucous single-gene mutants controlling waxes on ears were examined. Water repellency was assessed by measuring both the contact angle of a water drop placed on the lemma surface (internal angle) and by repetitive weighings of whole ears during their exposure to simulated rainfall. The lemma of glaucous (wild type) lines had larger water drop contact angles, an indication of poorer spread of water over the surface. In simulated rainfall, ears of the glaucous lines showed a clear reduction of wetting (20–30% less) and, after 72 h of wetting, their in-ear sprouting was reduced by 50 to 65%. When pre-wet, the glaucous ears also shed water more readily when shaken to simulate the combined effect of wind and rainfall. To reduce pre-harvest sprouting of barley it may be possible to screen visually for ears that are more glaucous but a more specific screen would be to select for lemma water drop contact angle since it is a good indicator of ear wettability and so allows differences in surface properties to be assessed. For bread wheat ( T. aestivumL.), as for barley, the more glaucous the ear, the greater the water drop contact angle and the more tubular surface wax coverage seen in scanning electron microscope images. In addition, surface wax amount apparently affected in-ear wettingin lines of durum wheat, ( T. turgidum L.). Possible genetic relationships between waxy/waxless genes in wheat and barley are suggested with the aim, ultimately, of altering ear glaucousness to give increased water repellency and a reduction of in-ear sprouting of wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]