Integrative approach towards enforced utilization of winter wheat genetic resources for grain yield improvement (GENDIV)

Genebanks conserve biodiversity by collecting, evaluating and documenting of plant genetic resources (PGR). Germany’s ex-situ Genebank at IPK comprises one of the world’s largest wheat collections (>27,000 accessions) – a resource, that hardly been used in crop improvement. GENDIV aims at better utilization of winter-wheat PGR in order to support grain yield improvement. Genetic variation of the source/sink potential of accessions of IPK’s genebank that was not evaluated in wheat breeding so far will be identified. The increased utilization of natural genetic diversity of non-adapted germplasm will help to counter-act the ongoing genetic erosion in the elite wheat germplasm pool. Contrasting genotypes with positive allele combinations for underlying grain yield parameters will be comprehensively characterized and the information subsequently forwarded to the practical breeding process.

 

Project partner:

  • Julius Kühn-Institut, Bundesforschungsinstitut für Kulturpflanzen (JKI), Quedlinburg
  • Leibniz Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK), Gatersleben

  •    Gemeinschaft zur Förderung von Pflanzeninnovation e. V. (GFPi), Forschungs- und Züchtungsallianz proWeizen

Bildquelle: N. Stein (IPK Gatersleben)