The world of modern wheat breeding

Farm and Ranch January 28, 2010 A whole new world. That is how Kulvinder Gill, who holds the Vogel Chair for Wheat Breeding and Genetics at Washington State University, describes wheat breeding today.

While public wheat breeders are utilizing new technology and techniques, Gill says private companies are capable of so much more.

Gill: “I have been talking to wheat commissioners and so, oh we have developed this high through put analysis system. That is primitive compared to what companies are talking about. I brag about how we have four thousand markers in our lab and they do like ten-thousand markers on a daily basis. And it is all automated. There was a company making a presentation, they don‘t even grow a plant. They just collect green dust and isolate DNA and go through ten-thousand seeds to pick the five they want without growing a single plant. I mean, there is absolutely no way we can compete with that.”

Nor says Gill, should public breeders try to compete with that. Gill sees a future of collaboration with private industry for university programs, which will develop germless and work on the general improvement of wheat, while private companies focus on specific traits with wide application.

Gill”: “Because that is more cost effective for them, while at the university we can do the more detailed, systematic improvement approach. So I think it may actually become complementary eventually.”

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.

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