DFW Breeders' Diversity Toolkit
The aim of Designing Future Wheat (DFW) Programme is to deliver new useful genetic variation and knowledge to breeding.
Pre-breeding germplasm is developed and handled in a collaboration between DFW WP3 and the
Germplasm Resource Unit (GRU).
The new pre-breeding germplasm will include near isogenic lines (NILs) from
wheat diversity sources. NILs or equivalent material are assessed for the trait of interest within DFW.
Particularly promising germplasm will be multiplied and trialed in multi-site trials at commercial breeders
and scientific institutions as an annually changing Breeders' Diversity Toolkit (BTK) series.
The DFW BTK series carries on from the WISP Breeders' Diversity Toolkit (see below).
It is one major result of DFW, taking output from WP1 and WP2 forward to pre-breeding.
DFW Breeders' Diversity Toolkit Selection Committee
Decisions on QTL or genomic regions and germplasm are made by the Breeders Toolkit Annual Selection Committee Meeting. It decides on the content of the DFW NIL back-crossing pipeline (NIL sets, putative candidates for a BTK) and on the final selection of the annual BTK lines. The following representatives sit on the the committee:

QTL or genomic regions and germplasm can be nominated by any researcher within DFW to the chair of the committee by submitting a completed form on germplasm, trait of interest, markers etc. using the following form: BTK germplasm nomination form. The committee meets in February (first time in 2018) to decide on the larger back-crossing pipeline and in September to decide on the next BTK.
The BTK will be tested in multi-site trials at different breeding companies and institutions,
DFW Breeders' Toolkit (BTK) 2019-2020
The accessions in the current selection (September 2019) are introgression of Durum, Emmer or Synthetic Wheat into Paragon or Robigus; or introgressions of wild wheat relatives into Paragon; or Near Isogenic Lines from landrace cultivars in Paragon. Each accession and controls will be planted in 3 replicates in yield trials. The following accessions are in the DFW BTK 2019-20:
Wheat Type |
Accession Name |
Description of Introgression |
Recipient Cultivar |
GRU code |
---|---|---|---|---|
WL |
PW141-21-3-4-Q2A-GFP-W |
Wat 1190141 QTL 2A-GFP |
Paragon |
WBTK0020 |
WL |
PW292-25-6-3-Q2A-MATU-W |
Wat 1190292 QTL 2A-MATU |
Paragon |
WBTK0021 |
WL |
PW352-26-5-19-Q2A-DTMA-W |
Wat 1190352 QTL 2A-DTMA |
Paragon |
WBTK0022 |
WL |
PW468-84-4-2-Q5A-NDRE-W |
Wat 1190468 QTL 5A-NDRE |
Paragon |
WBTK0023 |
WS |
SHW008 SYN Sel 51 |
NIAB SHW-008 BC1F6 |
Robigus |
WBTK0024 |
WS |
SHW008 SYN Sel 61 |
NIAB SHW-008 BC1F6 |
Robigus |
WBTK0025 |
WS |
SHW090 SYN Sel 70 |
NIAB SHW-090 BC1F6 |
Robigus |
WBTK0026 |
WR |
D029 DHF1-29 |
Ae. mutica DH BC |
Paragon |
WBTK0027 |
WR |
D329 DHF1-329 |
Ae. mutica DH BC |
Paragon |
WBTK0028 |
WM |
gw2-A / Par (+/-) |
gw2-A |
Paragon |
WBTK0029 |
WM |
Par / POL (-/+) |
POL |
Paragon |
WBTK0030 |
WM |
gw2-A / POL (+/+) |
gw2-A and POL |
Paragon |
WBTK0031 |
Control |
Paragon Parent |
Spring Control |
W10074 |
|
Control |
Robigus Parent |
Winter Control |
W9999 |
|
Control |
Santiago Yield Standard |
Winter Control |
W10338 |
BC=back cross, DH= doubled haploid, GRU= germplasm resource centre (GRU - BTK collection), gw2-A= grain weigth 2-A allele, Par=Paragon wild type, POL=T. polonicum P1 allele (grain length), Wat= Watkins landrace, WL= derived from wheat landrace, WM= derived from wheat mutant WR= derived from wheat wild relative, WS= derived from wheat synthetic .
DFW Breeders' Toolkit 2018-2019
The accessions in the current selection (September 2018) are introgression of Durum, Emmer or Synthetic Wheat into Paragon or Robigus or Near Isogenic Lines from landrace cultivars in Paragon. Each accession and controls will be planted in 3 replicates in yield trials. The following accessions are in the DFW BTK 2018-19 (GRU codes in brackets):Accession | Description | GRU code |
---|---|---|
NIAB-TK-1746 | Karim Durum Wheat introgression into Paragon | WS0087 |
NIAB-TK-1549: | Synthetic Hexaploid Wheat-18 introgression into Robigus | WS0063 |
NIAB-TK-1604: | Tios Emmer Landrace introgression into Robigus | WS0076 |
PW34.12 Q1A-HT | landrace allele from Watkins 1190034 | WL0105 |
PW34.12 Q1A-HT | comparative Paragon allele | WL0104 |
PW468.84 Q5A GRYLD | landrace allele from Watkins 1190468 | WL0292 |
PW468.84 Q5A GRYLD | comparative Paragon allele | WL0291 |
Paragon | parental control | |
Robigus | parental control | |
Santiago | industry standard |
DFW Breeders' Toolkit (BTK) 2017-2018
The genotypes of the DFW-BTK were Near Isogenic Lines either derived from landrace cultivars (two NIL streams from former WISP) or from an EMS mutant (one NIL stream from WP1).- Information and statistics on the result of WISP BTK 2016 and the new varieties in the DFW 2017-2018 Toolkit: DFW_WP3_Breeders_Toolkit_2017.pdf
To obtain seed contact Simon Orford, Germplasm Resources Unit, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH at simon.orford@jic.ac.uk
Normally, 500g of each line requested will be dispatched upon receipt of signed MTA. In the event of seed stock exhaustion, seed will be provided after regeneration at GRU.
Axiom Genotypes of Toolkit NILs
Many of the toolkit NILs, candidates for the BTK, have been genotyped using the 35k bread wheat genotyping array. Genotypes can be inspected at:WISP Breeders' Toolkit (BTK) 2016-2017
The WISP Breeders' Diversity Toolkit, based on landrace cultivar diversity, is the result of joint resource development and analysis carried out at the John Innes Centre, Rothamsted Research, University of Bristol, and University of Nottingham. The genotypes in the current selection (as of January 2015) are derived from F4 SSD, progeny of crosses between the UK spring wheat variety 'Paragon' and AE Watkins landrace cultivars[1] kept at the John Innes Centre.
The main prebreeding output of the WISP landrace pillar is Near Isogenic Lines in the genetic background of Paragon. They were developed through two marker assisted backcrosses which started off with a RIL from the respective Paragon x Watkins landrace population. So the NILs carrying Watkins alleles will carry ~ 87% Paragon background. This is the first cohort of landrace derived NILs from WISP. This is why the emphasis is on height and heading as the QTL analysis to inform the choices were based on data from the first season of WISP at JIC. However, the first year of assessment of the NILs (14-15) gave us some encouragement that landrace alleles might carry agronomic benefit and we encourage you to assess these materials.
WISP Breeders' Diversity Toolkit 2016
Loci covered are on chromosomes 3A and 5A for ear emergence, and 7B for height.
The set is a subset of the 2015 Toolkit, lines for which the last field trial suggested that the QTL loci confer a yield benefit upon Paragon.
- Information and statistics on the 2016 Toolkit: WISP_landrace_pillar_Breeders_Toolkit_2016.pdf
- Information and statistics on the result of WISP 2016 BTK and the new varieties in the DFW 2017 Toolkit: DFW_WP3_Breeders_Toolkit_2017.pdf
WISP Breeders' Diversity Toolkit 2015
Loci covered are on chromosomes 1B, 2D, 3A, 5A (x2) and 6A for ear emergence, 5A, 6A (x2) and 7B for height and 2D for Grain Yield.
The 2015 WISP Breeders' Diversity Toolkit information can be downloaded here:
- Information on the 2015 Toolkit: WISP_landrace_pillar_Breeders_Toolkit_2015.pdf
- Statistics on the 2015 Toolkit: WISP_landrace_pillar_Breeders_Toolkit_2015_NILs_statistics.xls
WISP Breeders' Diversity Toolkit 2014
Information on the 2014 toolkit is available here.
References