Wheat breeding and research at the State Plant Breeding Institute in Hohenheim

Two main research areas Breeding Development of new varieties for farmers & millers Identify new production alternatives, e.g. Einkorn Aims: higher yield, better quality, adaptation Research Examine genetic architecture of single traits in all wheat species Hybrid wheat Prebreeding for yield Optimized breeding methods with GS Selection 2

Staff and facilities 1 scientist – Dr. F. Longin 7 technicians PhD, PostDoc, Students… ~ 8 ha of nurseries > 20 different field locations Special nurseries for stress - FHB, virus, frost Quality lab for b- value, sds, falling, GI, protein content, vitreousness and dark points Machinery for threshing and dehulling 3

Elite breeding programs For Durum (100 crosses/year) Emmer (20 crosses/year) Spelt (40 crosses/year) Einkorn (10 crosses/year) Aim: Establish as a crop itself Each September: offer to every interested breeder to get exclusive rights of new lines selected in 2 year field trials 4

Main topics for breeding programs Durum: Resistance against Fusarium and Virus Winterhardiness Quality Spelt Increase of grain yield and baking quality Emmer Reduce plant height and increase frost tolerance Einkorn Reduce plant height 5

Trial technique – 15.000 plots/year

Quality lab – 5.000 samples/year Protein content SDSS Falling number B-value Gluten index TKM

Specific research projects Hybrid wheat Identify heterotic groups Improve pollination capability for seed production Elaborate best breeding schemes with markers Durum wheat Elaborate heritabilities and trait associations among agronomic and quality traits in spring and winter durum Perform QTL analyses for these traits Pre-breeding for grain yield in bread wheat Elaborate new methods and concepts to identify promising exotic lines Generate new variability via introgression of best exotic lines in elite material Generate new variability versus interspecifique crosses and increased recombination 8

Populations available in Hohenheim Bread wheat Durum Spelt Emmer Einkorn 1.200 varieties 30.000 random markers Special markers 500 varieties 30.000 random markers Special markers 200 varieties 8.000 random markers Special markers 100 varieties 450 varieties 8.000 random markers

State Plant Breeding Institute, University of Hohenheim, Contact Dr. Friedrich Longin State Plant Breeding Institute, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstrasse 21 70593 Stuttgart, Germany Phone: (++49) 0711 459 23846 friedrich.longin@uni-hohenheim.de