Control of infertility in wheat by phenotype screening and genetic analysis of varieties and breeding lines

小麦开花导致谷物的生产，收获用于人类，动物和工业用途。产量是花的数量和成功结实的花的比例的乘积。英国的小麦产量普遍很高，但有些品种在某些环境条件下表现出不育（开花结实率低）。这一问题的一个例子发生在20世纪80年代中期的冬小麦品种“Moulin”，当时不良的谷物组合给种植者造成了高达90%的损失。小麦不育仍然是一个严重的威胁，因为有这种弱点的品种可能会通过目前的试验系统，并给出一个严重的产量失败。此外，较低和不太明显的不育水平可能会抑制小麦产量。据估计，生育率每下降1%，英国将损失1800万英镑（即以每吨120英镑的谷物价格计算，产量为1500万吨）。因此，消除导致不育的等位基因将提高产量并防止产量失败。尽管这个问题很严重，但人们对导致某些品种易受不育影响的基因知之甚少。为了解决这一问题，生产英国95%小麦品种的Nickerson-Advanta UK Ltd、RAGT Seeds Ltd和KWS UK Ltd与家庭种植谷物管理局（HGCA）、苏格兰农业学院（SAC）和约翰·英尼斯中心（JIC）合作启动了一个项目。这些公司将提供已知在不孕症易感性方面不同的亲本之间的双单倍体（DH）群体。这些群体将由SAC在已知可诱导可再现水平的不育的地点种植。通过将其与基因组数据相结合，将有可能鉴定控制性状的数量性状基因座（QTL）。这将允许育种者选择这些不良影响。将研究五个不同的人群，主要目的是确定是否有一个或几个不育的遗传原因。这对于制定解决这一问题的战略十分重要。结果将在公司提供的更多品种和品系中进行测试，结果最终将纳入新的测试制度，这将有助于防止“有风险”的品系进入市场。

Flowering in wheat results in the production of grain that is harvested for human, animal and industrial use. Yield is a product of the number of flowers and the proportion of the flowers that successfully set grain. Wheat yields in the UK are generally high but some varieties show infertility (a low proportion of flowers setting grain) under certain environmental conditions. An example of this problem occurred in the winter wheat variety 'Moulin' in the mid 1980's when poor grain set caused losses to growers of up to 90%. Wheat infertility remains a serious threat because a variety with this weakness may slip through the current trialling system and give a serious yield failure. In addition, lower and less obvious levels of infertility may be suppressing wheat yields. Each 1% loss in fertility is estimated to cost £18m to the UK (i.e. 15mt production at a grain price of £120 per ton). Eliminating alleles that cause infertility will therefore enhance yield and protect against yield failure. Despite the seriousness of this problem very little is known about the genes that make some varieties vulnerable to infertility. To address this, Nickerson-Advanta UK Ltd, RAGT Seeds Ltd and KWS UK Ltd, who produce 95% of the current wheat varietes in the UK, have initiated a project in collaboration with the Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA), the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) and the John Innes Centre (JIC). The companies will provide doubled haploid (DH) populations between parent known to differ in vulnerability to infertility. These popluations will be grown by SAC in sites known to induce reproducible levels of infertility. By combining this with genotying data it will be possible to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) that control the trait. This will allow breeders to select against these undesirable effects. Five diverse populations will be studied, and a primary aim is to determine if there are one or several genetic causes of infertility. This is important for developing a strategy to combat this problem. Results will be tested in a larger collection of varieties and lines provided by the companies and results will ultimately feed through into new testing regimes that will help prevent 'at risk' lines from reaching the market place.