Activity 4: Delivery of Pre-breeding Germplasm to Wheat Breeding

• Phenotyping in breeding programs is evolving away from the concept of direct measurement of target traits and moving towards the digital inference of productivity using multi-faceted approaches. In particular, physiological high throughput phenotyping (HTP) measurements can predict grain yield, which may be particularly useful in early generation pre-breeding programs. We propose a novel application where digital phenotypes of our NAM population will be treated solely as empirical data in a machine learning-based genomic prediction approach. We will apply digital phenotyping using multispectral information to the SHW-derived NAM population that will act as a GS training population using the dense genotyping data generated in Activity 2.2.
• Establish and validate standardized methodologies for HTP in wheat that can be later applied to breeding programs and cultivar assessments in registration trials

CanNAM Population

Canadian Spring Hexaploid Wheat (CanNAM)

Stettler ONT Assembly:
Data generated

50 (Pops) X 94 RILS / per Pop = 4700 RILs

Completed and ongoing phenotyping of the spring and winter diversity panels

“Digital” Phenotyping of the NAM Population (Three Environments)

All locations were scanned at one week intervals (3 day intervals at heading)

PhaseOne
RGB camera

MicaSense Rededge 3
Multispectral sensor

• FHB incidence and severity will be evaluated in FHB nurseries located in Morden (Manitoba) and near Saskatoon (Saskatchewan).
• HTP methodologies in wheat for disease evaluation, with particular emphasis on FHB, rusts and powdery mildew

Germplasm field evaluation (FHB Nursery, Morden, MB)