MINUTES OF THE WHEAT CROP GERMPLASM COMMITTEE

9 December, 2002.
Cincinnati, OH, USA.

Afternoon Session.
Committee members present: Olin Anderson, Harold Bockelman, Kim Campbell (Chair), Elias Elias, Carl Griffey, David Marshall (Secretary), Anne McKendry, Jackie Rudd, and Kay Simmons. Also present were Jim Anderson, Joseph Anderson, Mark Bohning, Robert Bowden, Bikram Gill, Yue Jin, and David Van Sanford.

Chairperson Kim Campbell convened the meeting at approximately 1:30 PM. The minutes of the January 2002 meeting in Orlando, FL, were submitted and accepted by voice acclamation. The minutes were published in the 2002 Annual Wheat Newsletter (48:4-6) and also distributed previously via E-mail to committee members. Members of the Wheat CGC are Kim Campbell, Carl Griffey, Gina Brown-Guedira, David Marshall, Anne McKendry, John Moffat, Jackie Rudd, and Brian Steffenson. Ex-officio members include USDA­ARS curator of the National Small Grains Collection (Harold Bockelman), USDA­ARS National Program Leader in Grains (Kay Simmons); CIMMYT representative (Bent Skovmand); and a Canadian representative (vacant).

A brief history of the Wheat CGC presented by Kim Campbell indicated the former name of the committee (Wheat Crop Advisory Committee) and pointed-out that the objective of the Committee was to serve in an advisory capacity to national wheat (and related species) germ plasm efforts in the collection, cataloguing, preservation, funding priorities, germ plasm enhancement, and open exchange of germ plasm.

Harold Bockelman, curator of the USDA­ARS National Small Grains Germplasm Collection distributed information concerning the collection during 2002. The PI number assignments for all wheat, rye, triticale, and Aegilops accessions were disseminated. There are presently greater than 54,000 accessions of wheat and wheat relatives in the collection. Discussion followed on the electronic availability of information in GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) versus seed available for distribution. Mark Bohning (GRIN Database Management Unit) discussed plans underway to modernize the visual appearance of the GRIN website (http://www.ars-grin.gov/), including a shopping-cart approach for ordering seed, a downloadable format for trait files; and links to Crop Science registration articles. Discussion followed on the need to access data on GRIN accessions regardless of their seed availability.

Anne McKendry (University of Missouri) expressed concern over the maintenance, storage, and availability of lines that had been selected for Fusarium head blight resistance and subsequently purified, which had been derived from heterogeneous accessions in the National Plant Germplasm Collection. A motion was made by Carl Griffey (Virginia Tech) stating that selections made for Fusarium head blight resistance in heterogeneous germ plasm lines should be purified, increased, and be made available for evaluation in uniform nurseries and entered into the USDA Small Grains Collection. The motion was second by Kim Campbell.

Olin Anderson (USDA­ARS) gave an update on the wheat genomic data in GrainGenes. A committee has been formed to review the wheat genomic database, with emphasis on making the information more usable for researchers.

Kim Campbell gave a synopsis of the Crop Germplasm Committees Chairperson meeting. The National germ plasm system has been greatly expanded and improved in the past 10 years. Approximately USD 3-4 million was proposed by the administration for germ plasm activities in the FY03 budget. At the meeting, additional topics that were discussed included the need to have phytosanitary certificates for all plant material entering the U.S.A., the status of molecular evaluations on plant germ plasm, and the availability of interfacing geographic information systems with germ plasm information.

Mark Dahmer (BASF Corp) presented an overview of the Clearfield¨ wheat technology. He indicated that the genetics and herbicide (imidazolinone) combination is focused on wheat, canola, corn, rice, and sunflower in the U.S.A. The herbicide-resistance trait (FS4) was developed via mutagenesis and is, therefore, not a GMO technology. The key to developing wheat cultivars having resistance to imidazolinone is in partnership with university programs and private breeding companies to breed the FS4 trait into adapted material.

Kim Campbell led a discussion of germ plasm collection proposals and priorities. One approved collection trip was for wild wheat and barley in Kazakhstan. A suggestion was made by Elias Elias (North Dakota State University) for a collection in Armenia. Discussion followed on areas needing collection; a suggestion was made to develop a subcommittee to set priority areas for germ plasm collections.

Bikram Gill stressed the need for coördination in the wheat community of work on molecular markers. Goals and objectives for molecular-marker technology and mapping and association analyses need to be realized and perhaps coördinated through the current and proposed USDA­ARS Regional Genotyping Labs.

Evening Session.
Committee members present: Harold Bockelman, Kim Campbell (Chair), Elias Elias, Carl Griffey, David Marshall (Secretary), Jackie Rudd, and Kay Simmons. Also present: Joseph Anderson, Mark Bohning, Robert Bowden, Bikram Gill, Yue Jin, Akos Mesterhazy, Radney Pandeya, and David Van Sanford.

Sally Metz (Monsanto Corp.) gave a presentation on germ plasm issues associated with Roundup Ready wheat. USDA approval for the technology is anticipated in the first quarter of 2005 in spring wheat. Signed agreements between Monsanto and coöperators are required for evaluation of Roundup Ready¨ wheat.

The remainder of the session focused on setting research priorities for the evaluation of the USDA­ARS wheat germ plasm collection. Disease and insect resistance, quality traits, and reaction to abiotic stresses were all discussed and prioritized in terms of need and expertise to collect the data. Brian Steffenson requested approval to continue his evaluation of wild wheat and barley species. The types of evaluations are unclear. There was no opposition to his request.

The meeting concluded at approximately 10:30 PM., 9 December, 2002.