Genomic Selection for End-Use Quality Traits in CIMMYT Spring Wheat

Wheat cultivars must pass end-use quality standards to be eligible for varietal release, but breeding for end-use quality is often considered a secondary goal compared to improving yield or disease resistance.  In traditional breeding approaches, bread-making quality cannot be assessed until late in the breeding cycle.  Many materials will be advanced through the breeding pipeline that will not pass end-use standards.  Thus, money, time, and resources are spent on lines which cannot be released.  Genomic selection prediction models will be developed with phenotypes that are normally generated in the current breeding program.  Once model accuracy is determined, genomic selection is applied to lines, and materials can be culled on the basis of quality before expensive multi-location yield and quality tests need to be implemented. Genomic selection for end-use quality of the CIMMYT spring bread wheat breeding program is conducted using a multi-family, advanced-line approach.  Thousand kernel weight, grain hardness, grain protein, flour protein, SDS-Sedimentation, Mixograph, Alveograph, and loaf volume are the phenotypes used for model training and prediction.  High-density SNP genotyping is conducted using genotyping-by-sequencing.  330 lines from the selection cycle 45 International Bread Wheat Screening Nursery grown under five environments are used for model training.  221 lines from the selection cycle 46 International Bread Wheat Screening Nursery grown under five environments will be used for model prediction.  Goals of this project are to decrease breeding cycle time and increase genetic gain for end-use quality selection through use of genomic selection models.