2002 AMERICAN OAT WORKERS CONFERENCE
May
5-7
Hilton
Riverside Hotel
Wilmington, North
Carolina
Abstracts
Yellow Dwarf Virus
Resistance in Oats in the USDA-ARS/Purdue University Small Grains Program: Present Status and Future Direction
Joseph M. Anderson1 Ligia Ayala2, B. Balaji2, and Herb Ohm2
USDA-ARS1 and Agronomy Department2, 1150 Lilly Hall, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
The
USDA-ARS/Purdue University Small Grains Program is developing and
characterizing yellow dwarf virus resistance in oats through breeding and
characterizing oat-virus interactions.
The breeding program has developed a recombinant inbred population that
is currently in replicated field hill plots and will be evaluated for crown
rust and yellow dwarf virus resistance.
Progress continues to be made in YDV resistance by combining new sources
of resistance. Currently, several lines
that appear to be quite resistant to YDV are in replicated yield trials for the
fist time in 2002. When scored in
previous tests using the standard 0 to 9 scale scoring with 0 being no
chlorosis or stunting to 9 being severe stunting and chlorosis these lines
scored 2.5 compared to Classic at 3.0 and Clintland 64 at 9.0. To supplement the breeding program, research
is beginning to identify the most feasible methods for utilizing highly
effective YDV resistance loci derived from resistant/immune wheatgrass
genotypes. The viability and
germination of wheat pollen in oat flowers is being examined. If successful, this wide cross, combined
with embryo rescue, will provide the means for introgressing YDV resistant
wheat-wheatgrass translocations. Two
additional approaches are: A) develop a
bioengineering strategy that does not rely on a virus coat protein or other virus-derived
genes as resistance genes and B) examine the response of susceptible and
resistant oat to the virus at the gene level.
Initial response studies are focused on examining the progression of
virus replication over time and the expression pattern of known defense
response genes in the susceptible line, Clintland 64. Preliminary analysis suggests indicates that YDV viruses
replicate at different rates and that some defense response genes are down
regulated following inoculation.
Production and Consumption
Trends in Oats in the Last 25 Years
Jay Brandau
Grain Millers, Inc., 9531 West 78th Street, Suite 400
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
(phone 800/328-5188; fax 952/942-9649)
Data Obtained from Statcom and Global Risk Management
I. PRODUCTION TRENDS IN OATS THE LAST 25 YEARS
A. Seeded acres (hectors) trends the last 25 years
1. World
2. Big Four
3. North America
B. Production trends in oats the last 25 years
1. World
2. Big Four
3. North America
C. Yield trends in oats the last 25 years
1. World
2. Big Four
3. North America
II. CONSUMPTION TRENDS IN OATS THE LAST 25 YEARS
A. Animal Feed
1. World
2. North America
B. Human consumption
1. World
2. North America
III. PRICE OUTLOOK FOR OATS
A. Rest of 2001-2002 crop year
B. 2002-2003 Outlook
IV.
CHANGES IN THE OAT MILLING INDUSTRY
Aphids
on Oats: Implications for Barley Yellow
Dwarf Management
in South Carolina
Jay W. Chapin, Extension / Research Entomologist, Clemson University, Edisto Res. and Ed. Center, 64 Research Road, Blackville, SC 29817 and Stewart M. Gray, Research Plant Pathologist, USDA-ARS, Dept. Plant Pathology, Cornell University, 334 Plant Science, Ithaca, NY 14853
Four aphid species colonized oats in the same seasonal sequence as previously observed during a long term wheat study. Greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), and rice root aphid, Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominalis (Sasaki), colonized seedling oats immediately after crop emergence. Bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), was the third aphid species to appear on oats. Apterous populations of R. padi increased during January and peaked in March. Rhopalosiphum padi populations reached higher peak population densities and accumulated more aphid days on oats than on wheat. On oats R. padi was the most abundant aphid species, whereas on wheat the English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.), was most abundant. The predominant barley yellow dwarf virus serotype associated with BYD-symptomatic oats was PAV. Previous aphid assays and correlation of BYD incidence with aphid day accumulations have demonstrated that R. padi is the predominant local vector of this BYD serotype. Oats intended for grain production are typically planted in mid-October in the South Carolina coastal plain. The fact that oats are traditionally planted earlier than wheat may be related to the frequent use of oats as forage. When mid-October plantings were compared to mid-November plantings, October-planted oats had higher R. padi populations, higher BYD incidence and a greater yield response to insecticide treatment (25 % vs. 8.3 %). October-planted oats had significantly lower yield than November-planted oats in 1998-99 due to a combination of greater BYD incidence and cold injury during February (-6° C, Zadocks GS 31; -4° C, GS 32). In contrast, during 1999-2000, October-planted oats escaped cold injury and, when treated with insecticide for BYD suppression, produced significantly higher yields than November planted oats. Based on historical weather data, there is about a 50 % risk of cold injury on mid-October planted oats in the S. C. coastal plain. Given the risk of both cold injury and BYD related yield loss associated with October planting, South Carolina grain oat growers are being encouraged to delay planting until early November in the southern coastal plain. However, delayed planting alone will not avoid R padi colonization and substantial yield loss from BYD. Labeling of effective insecticides for residual control of R. padi (e.g. lambda-cyhalothrin or imidacloprid) is important for BYD suppression in grain oats. In addition, research is needed on the differential response of BYD-tolerant oat varieties to R. padi suppression.
New Directions in Research
for Adding Value to Oats
F. William Collins and Vern Burrows
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, ECORC, K. W. Neatby Bldg
960 Carling Ave., Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0C6.
An increasingly accepted
epidemiological and clinical literature combined with emerging new research
efforts have suggested that oats contain a wide range of nutritionally
functional components. Some of these components are unique to oats, and as such
present opportunities for the development and capture of technologies to
reposition oats as an important resource for new platforms for both food/feed
and industrial uses. In addition to
established evidence for its nutritionally desirable protein quality and
β-glucan content, oats contain two unique classes of phenolics not found
in any other cereal. These two classes, the avenanthramides and the alkyl
ferulates, posses not only high antioxidant power in lipid-soluble,
readily-available forms but also show remarkable physico-chemical similarities
to known therapeutic agents. The
avenanthramides are potent antioxidants, exhibiting 150 to 300% higher
antioxidant power than caffeic acid, and closely resemble specific Ca++
channel blockers with known anti-histamine, anti-irritant and
anti-atherosclerotic activities. Recent use of avenanthramides extracts as the
active ingredients in topical skin care shampoos and other personal and pet
care products, represents a first attempt to capitalize on this class for
non-food use. More importantly is the close resemblance of the avenanthramides
to patented therapeutics for preventing atherosclerosis progression, the
build-up of plaque in major arteries and a major causal factor in
cardiovascular disease. Either consumed as a functional food, or processed as
an enrichment/ingredient component following fractionation, these phenolics
offer a unique opportunity for entry into a lucrative market. The alkyl ferulates, the second class of
phenolics unique to oats, are a group of vitamin E analogs also possessing high
antioxidant activity. Like the stanol and sterol esters of nutraceutical
products such as Benecol, these antioxidants may play an important role in the
modulation of dietary cholesterol uptake as well as maintainance of healthy
cellular membrane functionality. Other oat-specific ingredients such as
saponins and digalactosyl monoacylglycerides for non-food uses, including
adjuvants/immunostimulants and transdermal drug delivery systems, further
support an integrated look at oat germplasm breeding and fractionation. Our studies on the distribution of these
components within the oat kernel suggest that enrichment of oat milling
fractions through alternative milling technology and breeding selection is not
only feasible, but will undoubtedly provide new products and feedstreams for
food and non-food end uses. Additionally, increased public and private sector
safety/security concerns with “track and trace” quality assurance issues have
become important to manufacturers and consumers of oat products and must be
addressed. Efforts are underway in the Value-Added Program at AAFC to develop a
new class of visually-distinct, “identity preserved” oats for contract
production to meet some these emerging demands. One of the challenges will be a
system that ensures value to all members of the oat production and utilization
chain.
Molecular Characterization
of the Oat Germplasm at Plant Gene Resources of Canada
Yong-Bi Fu1, Graham Scoles2, Axel Diederichsen1, Brian Rossnagel2 and Ken W. Richards1
1Plant Gene Resources of Canada, Saskatoon Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 107, Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0X2 Canada, and 2Department of Plant Science, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A8 Canada
Molecular
characterization of the oat (Avena
L.) germplasm held at Plant Gene Resources of Canada (PGRC) was initiated
concurrently with agrobotanic characterization to determine the extent and
distribution of genetic diversity in cultivated and wild oat and to establish a
tentative core set of cultivated oat accessions. Specifically, microsatellite and AFLP technologies were applied
to (1) assess the genetic diversity in the Canadian oat cultivars released over
the last 100 years, (2) analyze the gene pools in the selected groups of the
PGRC oat collection, (3) develop a
core set of cultivated oat accessions, and (4) evaluate the tentative core set
of cultivated oat accessions. These
projects will allow for a better understanding of genetic diversity in the PGRC
oat collection to facilitate the oat germplasm management and utilization in
oat breeding programs. Characterization
of the 96 Canadian oat cultivars released from 1886 to 2001 was completed with
24 microsatellite primer pairs. Sixteen
primer pairs were found to be reproducible and seven of them revealed no
variability. Among the nine polymorphic
primer pairs, four revealed the random variation patterns for the 96 Canadian
oat cultivars over the last 100 years; one displayed the impact of fixing
alternative alleles by selection in the breeding programs since 1960s; and four
showed the loss of microsatellite alleles during 1940-60s, ranging from two to
four alleles per primer pairs. Detailed
analysis of these microsatellite data is in progress to assess the extent and
distribution of genetic diversity in the Canadian oat cultivars and evaluate
the variation patterns over the time for specific Canadian breeding
programs. The characterization will
also continue with AFLP markers to increase the coverage of genome for a better
resolution of the variation patterns revealed by the microsatellite analysis.
European
Oat Production – An Overview
Christopher Green, Semundo
Limited, 49 North Road, Gt. Abington,
Cambridge CB1 6AS
Telephone: (44) 01223
890777; Fax: (44) 01223 890666
Email: christopher.green@swseed.se
Oats represented around 2% of the European cereal production in 2001. In 1961 however the 6.5 million hectares of oats was equivalent to 15% of the cereals area. Over recent years production in Europe has stabilized and whilst there is a decrease in some countries, there has also been some consolidation particularly in Finland and Sweden which together account for 55% of EU production. In other countries such as Germany and France, oats are becoming marginalized as growers increase their plantings of wheat and maize.
EU
Total Finland Spain Sweden Germany France UK 9
Others
Area ‘000 ha 1,913 400 410 277 232 110 109 375
Production ‘000 t 6,257 1,280 650 990 1,131 456 650 1,100
% of total 5.3 35 7 20 3.3 1.2 3.5 1
cereals* (area)
*Cereals
comprise wheat, durum, barley, maize, rye and oats.
EU cereal profitability is driven by winter wheat
and comparisons of the gross margin clearly demonstrate the present
profitability of wheat relative to
oats.
Yield t/ha 3.2 3.6 4.8 4.2 5.9
Oats gross margin $146.1 $154.8 $286.2 $226.2 $278.4
Wheat N/A $226.2 $426.3 $384.5 $428.9
NB
§
Gross
margin = Yield x price per tonne : less cost of seed, fertilizers crop protection and sundries.
§
Under
Agenda 2000 growers also receive an Area Aid Payment equivalent to 63 €/tonne
multiplied by the indicative cereal reference yield.
Yield and performance of oats varies considerably within Europe. The unit cost of production in the different countries can provide a useful comparison as well as being an indicator to the production dynamics. Two drivers that influence the unit cost of production, will be the yield (output and the levels of input). These figures have significance when considering global trade.
Maximising
Energy and Proteins in Oats
Christopher Green: Semundo
Limited, 49 North Road, Gt. Abington,
Cambridge CB1 6AS
Telephone: (44) 01223
890777 Fax: (44) 01223 890666
Email: christopher.green@swseed.se
The
introduction of a new semi-dwarf naked oat variety of Icon from The Institute
of Grassland and Environmental Research provided the opportunity to exploit
ultra high nitrogen programmes. In a
series of experiments a selection of commercially available oat varieties
together with the semi-dwarf variety Icon were grown in replicate trails very
high levels of granular and foliar nitrogen with and without the use of growth
regulators. The trials were recorded
for resistance to lodging, yield and grain quality.
Trials
Four
rates of nitrogen application were chosen with the highest rate having 180
kilos of granular nitrogen being applied and a further 60 kilos a hectare of
foliar nitrogen being applied, late season.
The aim of the trial was to reveal the performance and quality from the
different nitrogen regimes, and assess the economic viability of adapting the
results to a farm situation.
Maximising Energy and Protein – 3
Year Result – (Mean)
Straw Yield
(t/ha)
length Lodging 3 year mean Protein (%)
Variety Description (cm) (%) Low input High input Low input High input
Icon Semi-dwarf 90 0 3.8 6.1 11.2 15.3
naked
Krypton Tall straw 145 >70 3.9 5.9 12.1 14.2
naked
Gerald Short straw 125 >
35 5.1 9.2 9.4 11.9
husked
Future
The
encouraging results demonstrated the ability to increase both yield and protein
adopting a higher nitrogen regime. The
semi-dwarf variety Icon had a better response on yield and protein compared to
the other varieties. Whilst no lodging
occurred with Icon the tallest variety, Krypton suffered badly especially at
higher inputs. The results of this
experiment provided the basis for a new series of agronomic trials using new
naked oat cultivars and a tailored high input regime specifically aimed at
grain for the poultry industry.
Winter
Oat Breeding and Utilization in the Southern US
Stephen A. Harrison and Ronald D. Barnett
Louisiana State University Agricultural
Center
Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences
Winter oats are produced in all of the southern states, with the greatest acreage in Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. All the oats are fall seeded. Most of the oats grown for grain in the southern US is used for animal feed, particularly for swine and horses. We are not aware of any southern oats being used in the milling industry for food production. A larger acreage of oats is grown as winter pasture, either alone or in combination with winter ryegrass, and is not harvested for grain. In 2001 57% of oat 210,000 acres of oats in NC, SC, and GA was not harvested for grain; while 78% of 725,000 acres was not harvested in Texas. Winter oats are widely used for wildlife food plot plantings in the South. Acreage data is not available but hunting clubs and individual land owners use a lot of oat seed to enhance the habitat for wildlife and especially for whitetail deer. Winter oat breeding programs are ongoing in several southern states. The most active breeding programs are located in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina. All breeding work is done at state supported universities as there are no private breeding programs active in the region. All the plant breeders that work on winter oats also conduct plant breeding programs with other crops. Most of the varieties that are released are licensed to individual seed companies for seed marketing. The objectives of the breeding programs are: disease resistance (crown and stem rust, BYDV, and leaf blotches), winter hardiness, forage production, and grain yield. Very little attention has been paid to grain quality characteristics and very little is known about the milling potential of our winter oats. There are several nurseries used by breeders to evaluate material and for germplasm exchange. The USDA Uniform Winter Oat Yield Nursery is coordinated by David Livingston at North Carolina State University and normally has about 25 entries grown at 17 locations in 13 states. Each breeder can enter up to five entries in this trial each year. A Regional Oat Screening Nursery is coordinated by Stephen Harrison at Louisiana State University, is also used by southern breeders to evaluate their breeding material on a regional basis. Each breeder is allowed to enter 30-50 entries and only a single 5 ft row of each entry is grown at each location. This nursery normally has 200-250 entries and is grown at about 7-9 locations each year. This nursery is useful to breeders and only requires a small amount of seed to obtain multi-location testing. No yield data is taken but we normally get good disease and winter hardiness data. This nursery is also important as a means of germplasm exchange. A Uniform Naked Winter Oat Nursery (UNWON) was initiated in 2001 and is coordinated by Ronald Barnett at University of Florida. This nursery will be limited to about 25 entries and is grown at 6 locations. Data is collected on grain yield, adaptation, seed quality, and disease reaction. Only one naked winter oat has been released in the South and the acreage is very small but there seems to be considerable interest in this potential alternative crop.
Inheritance
and Mapping of a Pc58 Crown Rust Resistance Complex
David Hoffman, USDA-ARS,
Aberdeen, Idaho, USA
James Chong, Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Oat crown rust (caused by Puccinia coronata Cda. f. sp. avenae Eriks & E. Henn.) is potentially a devastating disease in most regions where oat (Avena sativa L.) is grown. Genetic resistance is the most effective method to control the disease. Oat cultivar TAM O-301 is known to have effective crown rust resistance, subsequently named Pc58. This resistance source is currently being used in breeding programs; however, the genetic basis of Pc58 resistance has yet to be determined. The main objectives of this study were to determine the genetics of the Pc58 resistance and to map the Pc58 resistance using an ‘Ogle’/ TAM O-301 (O/T) F6-derived recombinant inbred (RI) mapping population and the O/T molecular map. The three crown rust pathotypes (CR36, CR225, CR240) used in this study were all avirulent (resistant or immune) on TAM O-301 and virulent on Ogle. After inoculating the seedlings with CR36 and CR225, the 136 F6 lines segregated into four phenotypic classes (immune, resistant, intermediate, and susceptible) based on infection type. With CR240, only two phenotypic classes were observed: resistant and susceptible. Segregation data supported the hypothesis that the immune response were conditioned by two genes, while the resistant and intermediate responses were each conditioned by a separate gene. Rust phenotyping the O/T RI lines allowed the mapping of the resistant (two loci each for CR36 and CR225, and one locus for CR240) and susceptible loci. Analyses with MAPMAKER/EXP 3.0b confirmed the presence of four moderately linked crown rust resistance loci. A fifth locus was found either tightly linked to one of the four loosely linked loci or one gene conferred two of the resistant phenotypes. One end of the Pc58 complex is linked to the O/T linkage group 32; the other end of the complex linked to the O/T linkage group 33. Apparently, the Pc58 gene complex is located in a segment that joins O/T linkage groups 32 and 33 together, thus reducing the total number of linkage groups of the published O/T map from 34 to 33. We are currently using additional Pc58 crown rust races to verify the above. We plan to use bulked-segregant analysis to find PCR-based molecular markers within and flanking this newly identified gene cluster so that MAS can be used to facilitate introgression of the resistance complex. The new information on the Pc58 gene complex will be useful to those planning to use the Pc58 resistance ‘package’ in routine breeding.
Jim Holland, USDA-ARS, Department of Crop
Science, Box 7620 North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7620
DNA Marker-assisted selection (MAS) has been touted as a means to
improve the efficiency of breeding programs.
While there is good evidence that MAS will be effective under specific
conditions, there is also substantial evidence that MAS will be less
economically efficient than traditional selection procedures in many
circumstances. Wise application of MAS
requires delineation of situations in which MAS will be more effective than
phenotypic selection (PS). The most
promising areas for implementation of MAS include: (1) backcrossing one or a
small number of alleles into elite lines, when minimizing the number of
generations needed to recover a very high proportion of the recurrent parent
genotype is most important; (2) selection for traits that are very costly or
difficult to evaluate accurately on large numbers of progeny (such as nematode
resistance); (3) selection in off-season nurseries or greenhouses, where the desired
traits cannot be evaluated phenotypically, and (4) selection for favorable
alleles that occur in predominantly unfavorable genetic background in exotic or
wild species germplasm. In contrast,
MAS is likely to be less efficient than phenotypic selection for highly complex
traits, such as yield, in typical elite-by-elite breeding populations. In such populations, individual QTL effects
will tend to be smaller, and favorable alleles will be more equally distributed
between parents, making phenotypic evaluations per se the most efficient
means of selecting better progenies.
Identifying Microsatellite Markers from Related Species for Use in
Mapping
Catherine Howarth, Kirsten Skøt, Elizabeth Allen, Mike
Leggett, and John
Valentine
Institute of
Grassland and Environmental Research, Aberystwyth, SY23 3EB, U.K.
[e-mail: catherine.howarth@bbsrc.ac.uk]
Microsatellites
are ideal DNA markers for genetic mapping and population studies for many
reasons including their abundance and distribution in the genome, co-dominant
inheritance, multi-allelic nature, ease of assay by PCR and suitability for
automation. However, high development
costs limit their application in molecular plant breeding, particularly for
those crops for which little sequence information is available in public
databases. In this project we examined
whether microsatellites developed for other related species within the Graminae
were transferable to oats. There is no
shortage of publicly available microsatellites in barley, wheat, rye and
ryegrass along with numerous microsatellites available from the more distantly
related maize, sorghum and rice. Three
hundred twenty-six heterologous microsatellites (176 from barley, 18 from rye,
73 from wheat, 14 from Lolium, 14 from maize, 24 from sorghum, 6 from Elymus,
1 from rice) have been tested. By
adapting the PCR conditions, it was possible to increase greatly the proportion
of microsatellites that amplified microsatellites in oats. Although most of the microsatellite primers
used yielded a product, quite often there was no detectable polymorphism in the
initial screening set of genotypes used.
However, approximately 20% of the microsatellites tested were found to
be polymorphic in oats and further analysis is required to confirm the status
of the others. This has confirmed that
exploiting microsatellites derived from other species and publicly available is
an appropriate and cost effective strategy to employ. By utilising a range of wild species and oat cultivars, our
results enabled us to simultaneously investigate the transferability of
heterologous microsatellite information for use in oats, investigate their genome
specificity and, consequently, phylogeny within Avena, and assess
genetic diversity within the cultivated oat gene pool. As genetic diversity is the basis for
genetic improvement, its characterisation is of prime importance. It is also possible to use microsatellites
to examine the consequences of both domestication and subsequent selective
breeding; have genetic diversity bottlenecks been introduced in the breeding
process? Our future plans are to use
microsatellites, both from other species and from oats, as framework markers to
quickly generate linkage maps that can be used for QTL detection and subsequent
marker assisted selection. Target
characters are those associated with sustainable production, such as lodging
and disease resistance, and with important end-use qualities such as milling
quality in husked oats and high oil content in naked oats for feeding to
poultry and other animals.
Jean-Luc Jannink
Dept. of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
In breeding, the formula AO = ½ AS + ½ AD + SO, where AO, AS, AD are the breeding values of the offspring, sire, and dam, respectively and SO is a contribution due to random Mendelian segregation, is perhaps second in importance only to R = h2S. The formula provides a prediction of the breeding value of the offspring: E(AO) = ½ (AS + AD). The prediction, however, is in the expectation only, and we still must contend with the random segregation effect SO. In the absence of being able to control Mendelian segregation (plant breeders leave such attempts to genetic engineers), the promise of marker-assisted selection is to predict SO prior to extensive phenotypic testing. There is a strong affinity between QTL mapping in pedigrees and marker-assisted selection. Linkage mapping in pedigrees uses DNA markers to trace the descent of chromosomal blocks through repeated meioses in order to calculate probabilities of identity by descent (IBD) for those blocks among pedigree members. A pattern of phenotypic resemblance among individuals consistent with the pattern of IBD for a chromosomal block indicates a segregating QTL in that block. At the same time, deviations of individual phenotypes from their unconditional expectations provide information as to whether they carry a favorable or unfavorable QTL allele in the block, accomplishing the task of marker-assisted selection. Through QTL mapping in experimental populations, oat geneticists have accumulated a sizeable list of RFLP markers linked to QTL affecting a number of important traits. For the purpose of mapping in pedigrees, these markers provide a starting point. Generally, the number of individuals is higher in a pedigree / selection context than in the experimental population context. The need for user-friendly markers is therefore greater. The perennial problem of chromosomal translocations in oat may be less of a hindrance in pedigrees than in experimental populations since (hopefully) it will still be possible to trace chromosomal blocks, whether they are translocated or not. We have begun to score the first three generations of a high-oil selection pedigree developed by Frey et al. using the limited numbers of SSR markers publicly available for oat. Genotyping has been less-than straightforward, and for now it seems most appropriate for me to solicit feedback from the oat community on this aspect of the work.
Segregation Patterns in Oat
Populations Derived From Parents Heterozygous for Translocations 7C-17 and
6C-21
Eric N. Jellen*, Brian W. Gardunia, Jacob Durrant, and F. Douglas Raymond, BYU Dept. of Plant & Animal Sciences, 275 WIDB, Provo, UT 84602
J. Paul Murphy, David P. Livingston and Albert G. Santos, NCSU
Mounting evidence points to the importance of chromosomal rearrangements like reciprocal translocations in the evolutionary history of the genus Avena. These translocations may have profound effects on genetic and breeding behavior of oats, particularly when parents of diverse origins are used in crosses. We have been studying segregation patterns for translocations, genes, and abiotic stress tolerance traits in three oat genetic mapping populations whose parents differed for cytologically identifiable terminal intergenomic translocations. Two of these populations, Fulghum x Wintok (FW) and Population 7, are segregating for the 7C-17 translocation. The third population, SMIG, is segregating for an irradiation-induced translocation involving chromosomes 6C and 21. We observed an abnormal 3:1 (translocation:normal) segregation pattern (1:1 was theoretically expected) among approximately 100 F4:6 recombinant inbred lines derived from the cross between Fulghum (A. byzantina, non-translocation) and Wintok (A. sativa, translocation). The translocation is also highly correlated with cold tolerance contributed by the Wintok parent. Population 7, derived from a cross between Red Rustproof (A. byzantina, non-translocation) and PI 258591 (A. sativa nuda, translocation) is segregating 2 (hulless):1 (hulled, normal):1 (hulled, fatuoid) in the F5 generation; we are just beginning to score the F6 seed for the 7C-17 translocation, but preliminary data indicate no association between fatuoidy and deletions for either of the translocation segments involved in this chromosome rearrangement. The SMIG population is the product of a cross between Sun II (A. sativa, non-translocation) and N770-165-2-1 (A. sativa, translocation). This population is exhibiting skewed segregation away from homozygous normal plants in early generations of single-seed descent. This population is also yielding fertile duplicate-deficient plants that should permit assignment of genetic markers to the translocation segments, which consist of the subtelomeric region of 6C, short arm, and the NOR-satellite of chromosome 21. Other populations we are developing include Green Russian (7C-17 translocation) x Landhafer (non-translocation), Rousse (non-translocation) x Ogle (7C-17 translocation), Kanota (non-translocation) x PI 258582 (non-translocation, Crete), Landhafer x Black President (7C-17 translocation), Red Rustproof x Terra (hulless, 7C-17 translocation), and Grey Winter (7C-17 translocation) x Vicar (hulless, 7C-17 translocation). We are also working on development of genetic mapping software that can identify translocation breakpoints and derive the correct orientation of translocation segments, particularly in the KO linkage group 3.
Comparative Genomics for Oat Improvement
Ramesh Kantety and Mark Sorrells
Department of Plant Breeding, Cornell
University, Ithaca NY 14853
Genomic research emphasizes comparison of genes and
genomes across species and genera using sequence and map-based tools that
utilize evolutionary continuities among organisms at both the structural and
functional levels. Elucidation of gene
and genome structure-function relationships is based in comparative genomics
and evolutionary genetics is the underlying organizational principle.
Comparative genetics research is critical for future improvement of species
with large complex genomes or less research support. Trait dissection, integration of information about metabolic
pathways, gene expression, and chromosome location facilitate the rational
selection of candidate genes. Allelic
diversity experiments can be designed to facilitate the identification of superior
alleles for genes of economic importance so that they can be assembled in
superior crop varieties.
Effects
of Long-Term Storage on Lipid Profile And Rancidity of
Oat (Avena Sativa L.) Groats
Solomon Kibite, A. Schaefer, and P. Lepage
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe Research Centre, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada, T4L 1W1
Oat can be stored for at least one year if the moisture content is less than 13%, and if adequate protection is provided against insects and rodents. At higher moisture content or if the kernels are damaged, oxidative rancidity can develop as a result of enzymatic and non-enzymatic processes. Oxidative rancidity in oats is often measured by comparing the amounts of free fatty acids (FFA) and volatile fatty acids (VFA) present in the original oat sample with the amounts present after a specific treatment. In an effort to study the effects of long-term storage on oxidative rancidity of oats, we compared the FFA and VFA profiles of an old (stored for 50 years) and a fresh (stored for 6 months) groat sample of a naked oat variety (cv. Torch). Both samples were stored at below 13% moisture and ambient temperatures, and the kernels had no visible physical damage due to mechanical breakage or injury due to insects, rodents or microorganisms. The results showed that that the two samples were similar in VFA profile but were different in FFA (mostly C16, C18:1 and C18:2) content with the old sample showing the higher amounts.
Barley Yellow Dwarf
Tolerance in Oat
F. L. Kolb1 and L. L. Domier2
1Dep. of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, 2USDA-ARS
1102 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 60801
By far, the most important viral diseases of oat are caused by the barley yellow dwarf viruses (BYDVs) and cereal yellow dwarf viruses (CYDVs). These viruses cause significant economic losses in many oat production regions world-wide. Host plant resistance or tolerance is the best method of control of BYDVs and CYDVs. Our objective in this paper is to summarize some of the research that we have done on the development of BYDV tolerant germplasm and the use of molecular markers associated with genes for tolerance to BYDV. In our program we use a BYDV field nursery to evaluate genotypes for BYDV tolerance. Oat genotypes to be evaluated for BYDV tolerance are planted in hills in the field with 15 seeds per hill. Aphids (Rhopalosiphum padi) carrying an Illinois isolate of BYDV-PAV are used to inoculate the hills. Hills are evaluated by rating each hill on a 0 to 9 scale based on the amount of leaf chlorosis, stunting, and blasting of florets in the panicles. We have used these procedures to develop BYDV tolerant genotypes and have released varieties and germplasm lines with good BYDV tolerance. Using molecular markers (AFLPs and SSRs) we recently identified three loci which mapped to linkage groups 2, 8, and 36 of the Kanota x Ogle map. Taken together, these three loci explained about 50% of the genetic variability in BYDV tolerance in this data set.
AFENO – Avian Feed
Efficiency from Naked Oats
Cark Maunsell, Oat Services, 226 Bassett
Avenue, Southampton, SO16 7FU
Telephone: +44 2380 767228 Fax: +44 2380 768851
Email:
Cark_Maunsell@oat.co.uk
Oats are known to be a quality feed for chickens and turkeys, but have been limited in application by perceived low digestibility and energy values. With the success of commercial production of naked oats, together with the wish to utilise home-grown crops has increased industry interest and led to AFENO, the first UK government Department of Food and Rural Affairs [DEFRA] and industry supported multi-disciplinary project to assess naked oats from plough to plate. Areas under investigation in this three-year study are:
§ To research agronomic techniques to maximise yield and quality.
§ To identify the resultant nutrient profile from trial and commercial crops.
§ To assess feed performance of naked oat diets in chickens and turkeys for meat and egg production.
§ To examine meat quality resulting from high oat diets.
Initial results suggest:
§ TMEN values for the current commercial varieties of 17.5 Kg/g DM for naked oats, with experimental high oil varieties giving values of 18.0 Kg/g DM, which compared favourably against wheat at 16.2 Kg/g DM.
§ The use of the enzyme beta-glucanase had no significant effect on food conversion efficiency in diets up to 50% naked oats for pullets.
§ The use of naked oats improved food conversion efficiency [egg mass/feed intake] in laying hens.
§ Commercial least cost formulations based on the project data suggest the value of naked oats to a feed compounder would allow an attractive premium to the grain producer.
§ Most available data sources grossly under-estimate the nutrient value of oats.
Outputs from the project should include recommendations for optimising yield and quality in the field. This, together with detailed information on nutrient utilisation by poultry will encourage the use of naked oats in diet formulations. It is proposed that through an integrated approach, production contracts will be directly aligned to market needs. This project brings together plant breeders, crop developers, agronomists and a number of poultry meat and egg producers who together wish to improve the profitability efficiency and quality of oat fed poultry.
Breeding Behavior of Amagalon Derived Lines
Michael McMullen and Diego
Vilaro
Department of Plant Sciences, Loftsgard Hall, NDSU, Fargo,ND 58105, USA
The synthetic hexaploid developed
by Rothman from a cross between Avena
magna Murphy et Ferrell and A.
longiglumis Dur. is the source of the crown rust resistance gene Pc-91 derived from A. magna as well as an uncharacterized source of stem rust
resistance derived from A.
longiglumis. Although resistance
conferred by Pc-91 has been reported
to segregate as a single dominant gene, many breeding lines with Pc-91 are unstable and become
heterogeneous for reaction to crown rust.
Breeding populations segregating for Pc-91
often produce an excess of segregating lines in advanced generations. Linkage relationships of Pc-91 and RFLP and RAPD markers have
been used to facilitate introgression into commercial oat lines and Pc-91 appears to be linked in repulsion
to Dw-6.
We evaluated the frequency of male and female transmission and
segregation pattern of Pc-91 in
segregating populations. Transmission
frequency of Pc-91 varied among six
different Pc-91 parental lines. Tests for allelism among three lines that
produced varying transmission ratios of Pc-91indicated
these lines possess Pc-91 in the same
genomic position. From populations that
were segregating for both Pc-91 and Dw-6, recombinant lines were selected
that appear to have Pc-91 linked in
coupling with Dw-6. No recombinants were observed between a RAPD
marker and Pc-91.
Marker
Discovery and Application
Steve Molnar (Research Scientist, Crop
Genomics) and Nick Tinker (Research
Scientist, Bioinformatics)
Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre,
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,
Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA, K1A 0C6
It is well recognized that molecular genetic
markers have the potential to accelerate oat breeding and enhance our
understanding of the biology and genetics of this crop. Marker discovery initiatives in our
laboratory and many others over the past dozen years have utilized several
strategies that are now well established.
The use of Near Isogenic Lines and Bulked Segregant Analysis has been
extremely useful for single gene traits such as crown rust resistance, stem
rust resistance and day-length insensitivity.
Recombination Mapping followed by QTL Analysis has identified markers for
quantitative traits such as b-glucan content, oil content, percent groat, heading date and field
yield. Comparative mapping has proven
successful in locating the homologous loci in oats for aluminum resistance and
other traits that have already been well characterized in other grass
species. Each of these strategies is
particularly suited to specific situations and each continues to play a
significant role in marker discovery in oats.
However, the markers identified through these strategies are usually
anonymous pieces of polymorphic DNA whose value derives solely from their close
physical linkage to a gene of interest.
Ideally, markers would be based on allelic difference within the genes
of interest themselves, as such markers could not be separated from the trait
gene by recombination and as the study of DNA sequence of such markers could be
insightful regarding the genetics and biology of the trait itself. Recent rapid progress in functional genomics
and in bioinformatics has opened those possibilities. ESTs (Expressed Sequence Tags) which are sequenced DNA fragments
from active genes are now being developed by the tens of thousands in many
crops. Further, the careful design and
pre-screening of cDNA libraries permits one to enrich the EST collections for
genes involved in a particular plant response or pathway. Through a collaboration (the BRAHMS project)
with D. Mather and D. Smith of McGill University, we are using this approach to
develop markers for the protein and oil metabolic pathways in oats. Progress relies heavily on a bioinformatic
approach to the comparative genomics of candidate DNA sequences. Complementary developments in micro-arrays,
opens additional strategies for identifying ESTs and genes involved in plant
responses; for exploring allelic variation; and for high throughput
genotyping. Microarray initiatives in
oats remain to be developed in the near future. Other exciting opportunities await us just over the horizon. We gratefully acknowledge the long-term
financial support of the Quaker Oats Company in this research program. BRAHMS is funded by the Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Development
and Mapping of PCR Based SCAR Markers Linked to Oil QTL in Oat
(Avena sativa L)
W. Orr and S.J. Molnar
Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,
Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6, Canada
Oil content of oat is an important factor for human health claims, for animal feed and for cosmetic applications. To facilitate marker- assisted breeding for oil content, PCR based molecular genetic markers were developed. Three random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fragments closely linked to oat oil QTL in Terra x Marion were cloned and sequenced, and their sequences were used to design sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers. All SCAR markers generated polymorphic DNA fragments of the same size as the original RAPD bands and mapped on the Terra x Marion population to the same linkage group and the same map location as the original RAPD markers. SCAR primers are longer than the original RAPD primers; therefore, SCAR markers are significantly more reproducible and reliable in PCR assays. These three SCAR markers have utility for marker-assisted selection for high and low oil germplasm in oat breeding programs.
Avenanthramides
in Grain and Leaves of Oat Cultivars Exposed to Crown Rust
David M. Peterson1,
Lena H. Dimberg2, Susanne Bryngelsson2, Atsushi
Ishihara3 and Lauri L. Herrin1
1Cereal Crops Research, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 501 Walnut St., Madison WI 53705 and Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2 Department of Food Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7051, S-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden, 3Division of Applied Life Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Japan
Avenanthramides are constitutive components of oat grains that have antioxidant activities in vitro. They also occur in leaves of oat plants that are challenged with crown rust (Puccinia coronata) or other elicitors. The enzyme responsible for the last step in avenanthramide synthesis, hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA:hydroxyanthranilate N-hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (HHT), apparently is induced in leaves in response to an incompatible race of P. coronata. We designed a field experiment to determine the levels of enzyme activity and concentrations of avenanthramides in grain and leaves of ten oat cultivars, that ranged from very susceptible to very resistant to crown rust infection, under natural disease pressures. During the growing season in Madison, Wisconsin, cultivars developed crown rust scores ranging from 0 to 75 on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 indicating no pustules and 100 indicating approximately 50% of the leaf surface covered with pustules. Samples were taken at 5-day intervals from heading until maturity, freeze dried, and extracted and analyzed for avenanthramide concentrations and enzyme activities. Of the three most prominent avenanthramides in the grain, Bp appeared earlier in development than Bc and Bf. HHT activity was not detected until the later harvests, but at that stage there were highly positive correlations between avenanthramide concentrations and enzyme activities. Most of the rust-susceptible cultivars had low avenanthramide concentrations in grains and resistant ones had high concentrations, but this tendency did not hold for all cultivars. Difficulties in analyzing leaf samples caused by interfering substances have prompted us to work on improving our analytical methods. Additional experiments are planned for 2002 to confirm and extend the 2001 results. So far it appears certain that there is a genetic influence on HHT activity and avenanthramide concentration in oat grains. These factors may be associated with or may even influence disease susceptibility, but this remains to be proven.
Trevor Pizzey
CAN-Oat Milling
Oat breeding programs must consider the needs of varied influence groups, including regulatory bodies, producers, processors, and consumers. Often, each influence group has unique issues that are of importance to them, while they may be indifferent to the issues that are of importance to other influence groups. Consumers of food products are often the least directly involved in influencing a breeding program, but ultimately control the environment within which a breeding program is operating. Key consumer interests include, among others, how “fashionable” a food is, the cost of the food item, and its nutritional or health impact. These interests are often trickled down to breeders through other interest groups, e.g. processors respond to consumers’ demand for certain nutritional aspects of finished foods by requesting breeders to focus on the same nutritional components in raw grains. Unfortunately for breeders, consumer interests are often short-term and variable, while the breeding process is multi-year, and the progress incremental. Given the differing timelines of consumer interests and the breeding process, breeders are challenged with finding ways of effectively managing the direction of their program, so that it is best able to meet consumer demand. A three-part management system is envisioned:
· focus on core attributes which address a number of influence group requirements e.g. high yield addresses producer requirements, and also positively impacts consumer choice through lower cost ingredients.
· continue to bring forward a small percentage of unique material that may be able to capture market share as a result of significant changes to consumer preference invest in technology that reduces the breeding timeline, so that breeding response more closely parallels consumer preference timelines.
Molecular
Markers for Oat Crown Rust Partial Resistance QTLs in MN841801-1
Vladimir A. Portyanko, Howard W. Rines*, Ronald L. Phillips,
Juan E. Diaz, and Deon D. Stuthman
Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, and USDA-ARS*,
University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108
The observed ability of the oat crown rust pathogen Puccinia coronata to rapidly overcome high-level race-specific host resistance through population virulence shifts has led to a strong interest in breeding oats with partial, race non-specific resistance. One way to obtain this possibly more durable resistance is to introgress into elite germplasm lines genes for partial adult plant resistance through marker-assisted selection. Previously, we reported the identification of five QTLs for crown rust partial resistance in analysis of a recombinant inbred population produced from a cross of MN841801, a line with effective adult plant partial resistance, and the susceptible cultivar ‘Noble’. Detection of the QTLs was based on a molecular linkage map of more than 200 marker loci and data from 2 years of greenhouse and field rust data. The objectives of the current studies were 1) to identify or develop PCR-based markers appropriate for high-throughput marker-assisted selection, and 2) to test for QTLs in two additional populations sharing MN841801-1 as a donor of partial resistance but with elite breeding lines with some resistance as the other parents. The five partial resistance QTLs identified in the MN841801-1 x Noble-2 (MN) population were located on MN linkage groups with putative corresponding Kanota x Ogle (KO) linkage groups as follows: two larger QTLs on MN3(KO17) and MN26(KO36), respectively; one intermediate size QTL on MN14(KO22); and two smaller QTLs on MN6(KO6) and MN12(KO11 or KO14), respectively. A microsatellite marker, AM3, was found to be associated with the QTL on MN26. For the other four QTLs, RFLP markers closest to the QTLs were chosen, primer pairs designed based on the sequences of the cDNA probes, and variations in sequence sought in corresponding genomic-derived PCR products of the mapping parental lines. Insertion/deletion (Indel) variants allowed design of PCR-based markers, two of which have been mapped near detected rust resistance QTLs on MN12 and MN14, respectively. Markers in the QTL regions detected in the MN population were used to test for allele effects in RIL populations from crosses of MN841801-1 and two breeding lines with some rust resistance, ‘Richard’ and MN95201. Tests involving 2 years of field rust severity data combined with marker polymorphism for four QTL regions in the MN841801-1 x Richard population detected two QTLs with MN841801-1 as the positive allele donor and one with Richard as donor. No significant effects of markers for three tested regions were found in the MN841801-1 x MN95201 population in the single year it was tested. Future efforts will include additional testing of the populations, further PCR-based marker development, and derivation of near-isogenic sib lines to confirm allele effects in the MN841801-1 x Noble-2 population.
Oat x Maize
Crosses as a Source of Genomic Tools and Novel Germplasm
Howard W. Rines*, Ronald L. Phillips, Ralf G. Kynast, and Ron J. Okagaki
USDA-ARS* and Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics,
University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108
Pollination of emasculated oat florets of oat with maize pollen followed by in vitro rescue of embryos leads to the recovery of both haploid oat plants (2n = 3x = 21) and plants with one or more maize chromosomes added to a complete haploid oat genome. From about 80,000 oat florets pollinated, 410 plants have been recovered. Of these, 271 had only oat chromosomes. Haploid oat plants were partially self-fertile via formation of unreduced gametes producing doubled haploid progeny. About 25% of the offspring were aneuploid with monosomy (2n - 1) being the most common variant. Such monosomic derivations have proven valuable for allocating markers to chromosome in oat. The euploid doubled haploids recovered among these offspring or from colchicine-doubled sectors of haploids have special value as germplasm in genetic and breeding studies. Among the 410 recovered oat x maize progeny, 139 had added maize chromosomes. Plants with multiple maize chromosomes tended to be of weak stature; however, ones with only one or on occasion two maize chromosomes were frequently partially self-fertile and transmitted the maize chromosome(s). Fertile disomic additions of individual maize chromosomes (2n = 2x + 2 = 44) have been recovered for each of the ten chromosomes of maize except for chromosome 10. A haploid maize chromosome 10 addition line is propagated by vegetative cloning. Phenotypic effects depending on the particular maize chromosome present were observed and included changes in plant morphology, fertility, and day-length response, and the appearance of lesions. Serving as tools in functional genomic studies the addition lines can be used to analyze oat x maize gene interactions and can be intercrossed to analyze interactions between individual maize chromosomes isolated from the remainder of the maize genome. To be determined is if the added maize genetic material may provide traits useful to oat improvement such as disease resistance or heat tolerance. DNA preparations of the complete set of lines having the maize chromosomes individually present in an oat background are being distributed and have proven quite valuable for various maize projects. A primary use is as a tool to rapidly map to maize chromosome maize DNA sequences such as ESTs or individual members of gene families. A current extensive project involves fragmenting the maize chromosome in the addition line by gamma irradiation and recovering progenies each with only one defined segment of a maize chromosome added to or translocated into the oat genome. Such materials, termed radiation hybrids, provide not only for high resolution physical mapping of maize chromosomes but also more useful and stable forms of introgressed maize genes as germplasm for possible oat improvement. A portion of this work was supported by National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0110134.
Bruce Roskens
Senior Manager – Agricultural Research and Commodity Development
The Quaker Oats Company
For as
long as mankind has been cross-pollinating plants, plant breeders have aimed
for long-term genetic improvements, requiring long periods of time to
develop. Even with new tools from
biotechnology and computerized instrumentation that allows us to measure
analytical traits faster and more efficiently, it still takes years and
generations to advance an improved variety from crossing to full
production. This evaluation and
advancement time period becomes very cloudy and even more confounded if or when
the goals or target values for measuring improvement change rapidly. Plant breeders of many small grain crops,
including oats, have the unique position of needing to satisfy several “needs”
in varietal development. As with all
crops, including forages, farm production yield improvement is primary,
followed by and/or including disease resistance that affect yield and
quality. But “quality” can be very
ambiguous. Just as “beauty is in the
eye of the beholder”, quality is dependent on the end-use market. As new or specific uses for crops develop,
as new tools for measuring traits evolve, and as consumer demand shifts, the
definition of “quality” changes.
Worldwide communications and technology are speeding up these changes,
and the demand for differentiation of quality in crops is not just increasing,
it is compounding! It is beneficial to
remember that despite a specific end-use process, product, or set of quality specifications,
a processor or customer will tell you that quality is “what the consumer demands and expects to pay for – every time, all the
time”. So, how does an oats breeder
establish and maintain priorities, and yet stay focused on a moving target like
“quality”? Especially in light of ever-increasing
costs of plant breeding, fewer and fewer oats breeders, shrinking governmental
budgets for crops like oats, reduction in global acreage, increased global
trade in oats, comparatively little private funding or private company oats
breeding, and increased university or institutional pressure to “produce
value”, etc.?
· Listen and question. Understand each end-user definition of quality, and define it – short and long term. (We are the customer.) Constant communication is imperative.
· Understand cost-drivers of end-users – i.e. – mill yield, transportation, product values, supply constraints, quality variability, etc.
· Leverage your breeding capabilities, analytical and biotech knowledge, and proactively promote capabilities to end-users, including leveraging funding resources. Take a business-model approach to your breeding efforts.
· Work with end-users in product development strategies. Think future product needs.
· Think globally, act locally. Oats breeding is international, as is supply and demand.
· Establish “stretch” goals and employ new techniques and methods to speed process of varietal development and introduction that are real, long-term improvements.
Feed
Oat Development for Western Canada
Brian Rossnagel, Crop Development Centre,
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
Western Canada's oat area has recovered to > 3.5 million A with grain production of 3.5 MMT/year. The early 1990's to 2002 increase in Saskatchewan has been dramatic - <1.0 to >1.6 million A. Of the 3.5 MMT produced, 40% is exported (1 MMT) or used domestically for food purposes, with 2.2 MMT for feed and seed (2 MMT for feed). Up to 1.0 million A are for annual forage, primarily as baled "greenfeed", with some silage and swath grazing. Despite this significant domestic feed use little effort has been directed at improving oat for feed. "What makes a good food oat makes a good feed oat" is an adage often used by oat breeders. Within the confines of physical grain quality traits (groat/hull percentage, bulk density (test weight), grain size and plumpness) this is correct and simplifies selection since both feed and food end-users desire similar physical qualities. In addition, most R&D support has come from the food industry, matched by public funds, and emphasis has rightly been on milling quality. The primary reason attention has not been paid to oat for feed is the fibrous hull, which, relative to other feed grains (barley and wheat) for ruminants, non-ruminants or poultry, makes whole oat grain less energy dense and less valuable. While breeding has reduced % hull from near 30% to near 20% over the past 20 years, digestible energy differences between whole oat and barley, even for ruminants, is significant (approximately 10%). However, with our discovery of the low acid detergent lignin hull (LLH) trait in the AAFC, CRC, Winnipeg variety AC Assiniboia (Thompson et al, CJAS, 80:377-379, 2000), we have begun a breeding program targeting development of whole oat grain with energy density for ruminants = or > than hulled barley. Since > 8 MMT of barley is fed to ruminants in western Canada annually, and increasing demand for high energy feed due to increased livestock production exists, there is significant market potential. Even if oat were to capture only 20% of that growing market it would mean > 1.0 million more acres. The digestible energy difference between whole oat and barley is 10%. LLH doubles hull digestibility. As hull makes up > 20% of the whole grain, this change alone removes 1/2 the difference. One unit of fat has 2.2x the energy of one unit of starch, thus increasing groat fat from 5 - 8% should erase the remaining difference. Combing these traits with minimal % hull will lead to higher energy whole grain oat than has existed before. F3 derived LLH-HOG genotypes have been selected and increased in New Zealand over the 2001/02 winter and will be grown at Saskatoon in 2002 for proof of concept ruminant feeding studies during 2003 and 2004. Single seed decent is being utilized to rapidly develop RILs for LLH-HOG cultivar development. The LLH-HOG project is supported by Super Oats Canada Ltd. and the Saskatchewan Agriculture Development Fund. By reducing the hull content, making that hull more digestible and increasing energy density by replacing groat starch with fat the project will provide whole grain oat desirable for ruminant feeding in feedlot and dairy operations. Development of very high groat fat oat and oat with improved forage quality round out efforts to improve oat as a major feed crop for western Canada.
A.G. Santos1, E.N. Jellen2, D.P. Livingston3, and J.P. Murphy4
1Delta and Pine Land Co., Scott, MS 38772; 2Brigham Young University, Provo, UT; 3USDA, Raleigh, NC 27695-7629; and 4Dept. of Crop Science, N.C. State Univ., Raleigh, NC 27695-7629
Variation in the presence of an intergenomic translocation segment on chromosomes 7C and 17 of common cultivated oat (Avena sativa L.) and red oat (A. byzantina K. Koch) has been shown by previous studies. Translocations are known to be fixed in populations when they place genes conferring a collective adaptive advantage into a common linkage group. Regions on one or both chromosomes 7C and 17 have been implicated as affecting plant height, maturity, and vernalization. The objective of this study was to determine associations between crown freeze resistance and the presence of the 7C-17 translocation. Ninety-five recombinant inbred lines (RILs) developed by crossing Fulghum (A. byzantina type, no translocation, less winter-hardy) with Wintok (A. sativa type, has translocation, winter-hardy) were used in the study. Crown freeze resistance was scored following the scale 0-5, where 0 = dead and 5 = alive. Linear regression was used to determine linkage. The association was highly significant (P = 0.0001) with an R[SQUARED] of 23.6%. The results suggest that the 7C-17 translocation can be used as a marker for crown freeze resistance.
Genetic
Association of Crown Rust Resistance Gene Pc59
and AFLP Markers in Oats
S. Satheeskumar, J.T. Chapados, J.K. Deyl,
S.J. Molnar and A.R. McElroy
Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,
Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6, Canada
One of the next crown rust resistance genes selected for deployment in the ECORC breeding program is Pc59. Identification of closely linked DNA markers for this gene will enable the selection of lines possessing the gene. For AFLP analysis, segregating F3 families derived from a cross between the recurrent parent Robert and the line, TAM-O-312: Pc59, carrying Pc59 were used. Of the 74 F3 families scored for seedling rust reaction, 19 were classified homozygous resistant, 36 segregating and 19 homozygous susceptible. This is an acceptable fit to a single dominant gene ratio (c21:2:1=0.04; P>0.95). The association of AFLP markers with Pc59 was determined by bulked segregant analysis using homozygous resistant and homozygous susceptible F3 families. DNA from 12 homozygous resistant and 12 homozygous susceptible F3 families were bulked and screened for polymorphisms using 16 random AFLP primer combinations. Of the 16 primer combinations, eight produced a total of 21 polymorphic bands. Further analysis was focused on three polymorphisms associated with Pc59 in coupling that produced strong signals. When each component F3 family of the resistant and susceptible bulks was individually analysed, two polymorphic bands co-segregated in coupling with the Pc59 allele in all the resistant families. These bands were absent in all the susceptible families. Parental lines revealed the expected banding pattern. The third polymorphism present in the resistant bulk was present in seven out of 12 resistant families and four out of 12 susceptible families. The three markers are being analysed in the entire F3 population for linkage estimation. Once the genetic distances of these markers from the rust resistance gene are established, the closest marker will be converted into a PCR based marker. Two of the markers also show polymorphism between Kanota and Ogle and hence will be mapped to the existing Kanota/Ogle oat linkage map.
Partial
Resistance in Oats to Crown Rust
Gregory Shaner and George Buechley
Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, 1155 Lilly Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907
Crown rust
continues to be a major threat to oat production. Oat breeders have long sought to develop cultivars resistant to Puccinia coronata, but progress has been
disappointing. The many genes that
confer hypersensitive resistance have invariably been race-specific and have
not provided durable protection. Among
the rust fungi that attack cereals in North America, P. coronata is the only one that regularly undergoes sexual
reproduction, which may explain why monogenic, hypersensitive resistance
provides only ephemeral protection. For
many years, Avena sterilis has been a
source of genes that confer hypersensitive resistance. When these genes in A. sterilis were first discovered and characterized, they were
typically effective against all or most known races of P. coronata, but they quickly succumbed to new races of the fungus
once they were deployed in A. sativa. Partial resistance may be more durable than
hypersensitive resistance. There are at
least four components of partial resistance: low receptivity, long latent
period, small uredinia, and short infectious period. These components of resistance reduce the rate of multiplication
of the fungus but do not totally exclude “wild type” strains of the
fungus. If certain strains of the
fungus were somewhat adapted to a line with partial resistance, they would not
have such a strong selective advantage as strains that overcome a gene for
hypersensitive resistance. This, and
the fact that partial resistance is often under control of several genes, may
account for the greater durability of partial resistance. In 1990 we began working with partial
resistance to P. coronata. We evaluated accessions of A. sativa and A. sterilis from the National Small Grains Collection and four
accessions of A. sterilis provided by
Uzi Brodny, which he had identified as having partial resistance. Several of these had low receptivity and
long latent period, but working with them was difficult because of their
susceptibility to BYDV. We transferred
this partial resistance to A. sativa
types that were resistant to BYDV through several cycles of crosses. After each cycle of crossing we selected
progeny for fewer and smaller pustules compared to susceptible checks, but with
a compatible infection type. During the
spring of 2000, we evaluated 23 lines from this program. Following quantitative inoculation, we
counted the number of pustules per unit area of leaf and measured pustule
lengths. The susceptible check was
cultivar Marvelous. There were 16 tests,
each involving 5 or 6 lines. Most lines
were evaluated in 2 to 4 experiments; a few were evaluated in only one
experiment because of limited seed supply.
The A. sterilis derivatives
selected for partial resistance had only 2 to 19% as many pustules as the
check. Pustule lengths were 30 to 75%
the length of pustules on Marvelous.
Most also had a longer latent period than Marvelous. Nonetheless, infection types on these lines
were 3 or 4. When we grew progeny of
these lines in the field, they had much less rust than the checks. Whether these lines have a race-nonspecific
resistance remains to be proven. This
might best be determined by testing them in several environments against local
strains of the fungus. The final test
must await wide scale deployment of this resistance.
Overview
of USDA-ARS Oat Research
Kay Walker Simmons
National Program Leader, Grain Crops
USDA-ARS National Program Staff
Beltsville, MD 20705-5139
Email: kws@ars.usda.gov
The USDA-ARS conducts over 25 oat research projects. These include managing the U.S. oat collection of over 21,000 oat accessions and associated germplasm and genetic improvement projects. Other projects are directed towards biological and molecular processes including cold hardiness, regulation of carbohydrate metabolism and light responses. Additionally, there are projects in disease resistance, pest protection, new uses and grain quality, and aquaculture. This presentation will include a review of the current ARS budget for oat research and the development of new oat projects.
The
Status of Oat Transformation
David A. Somers, Kimberly A. Torbert, Russell D. Rasmussen, Sergei K. Svitashev, Irina Makarevitch, Ronald L. Phillips, and Howard W. Rines
Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota
Progress continues to be achieved by a number of research groups in improving oat transformation via microprojectile bombardment. A range of genotypes can now be genetically engineered using different sources of tissue cultures and selection systems. Characterization of oat plants transformed using microprojectile bombardment indicates that most plants have complex transgene locus structures of which the majorityexhibit transgene silencing. While investigations of transgene locus structures provide insight into the mechanisms of transgene locus formation, they also indicate the need for alternative methods that produce a higher proportion of plants with simple transgene loci and thus good transgene expression to decrease the numbers transgenic plants needed to be produced to investigate a transgenic phenotype. Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation produces simpler loci than microprojectile bombardment and has been shown to be useful for transformation of all cereals except oat. Agrobacterium also provides a strategy to produce selectable marker-free transgenic plants via binary plasmids carrying two separate T-DNAs making it even more useful for plant transformation. Some progress in developing an Agrobacterium-based transformation system for oat has been reported; however, no transgenic plants have been produced to date. My group and others will continue these efforts because of the significant advantages of using Agrobacterium. The ability to silence expression of oat homoeologous genes would provide a useful genetic manipulation for crop improvement and functional genomics studies. Antisense-RNA and RNA interference (RNAi) both have the capacity for producing dominant loss-of-function silenced phenotypes; however, RNAi appears to do so at higher frequencies. We have characterized a large population of transgenic oat lines expressing an antisense copy of the waxy gene. The waxy phenotype in other crops is a deficiency in seed amylose. There was some variation in amylose content among the transgenic oat lines; however, no lines exhibited a waxy phenotype. RNAi strategies to investigate homoeologous gene silencing in oat will be discussed.
Nick Tinker, Jiro Hattori, Philippe Couroux, Jean
Gerster, Jitka Deyl, Charlene Wight and Anissa Lybaert
Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,
Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6, Canada
Bioinformatics is a hybrid research platform where computer science merges with biological discovery. Bioinformatics is particularly visible in genome research, where it is essential for managing and understanding vast quantities of DNA and protein sequence. As genomics moves increasingly toward applications in agricultural science, so, too, does bioinformatics. Bionformatics is not new within agricultural research; it has always been present in applications such as data management or computational genetics. What is new is the high degree of vertical and horizontal integration that is now required in applications such as marker discovery and molecular breeding. Many competing and sometimes incompatible bioinformatics solutions have emerged: a platoon of pricey commercial software, an oligarchy of open source software, and a wilderness of web portals. Bioinformatics groups, including our own, must assemble components that are compatible with users and with the biological problems at hand. We offer this description of our bioinformatics program as one example of how this can be done. At the heart of our system is a set of relational databases. Although they belong to several different projects, these databases can be linked together for purposes of data mining. One database is fed by an “EST pipeline” that deposits new sequence data and links it to descriptions of experiments and gene clones. All sequences are matched with each other to identify those belonging to common genes. They are also searched automatically against public databases, and all “hits” are documented within the database for instant retrieval. Gene expression experiments are conducted by hybridizing mRNA samples to microarrays comprised of thousands of gene clones. Results are added to the database so that gene expression levels can be compared with other annotations about gene sequence and function. Additional databases include a register of molecular marker scores in various oat populations, a database of oat varieties and test results, and a database of oat and barley genes involved in seed germination and seed composition. Several unique tools have been created to query and visualize these data. These include: an EST viewing tool that is capable of searching for sequences based on combinations of keywords from various annotations, a molecular marker map manager, a program for drawing and comparing linkage maps, and a web-based tool to query oat lines and display their pedigree. The latter two items are presented in detail on accompanying posters.
Now You See It: Using
"C2Maps" to Draw and Compare Molecular Marker Maps
Charlene P. Wight and Nicholas A. Tinker
Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,
Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6, Canada
Molecular
marker maps can hold the key to vast troves of treasure, but finding where
those treasures are buried can mean a long, arduous trek through a hostile
wilderness. The modern explorer should
be equipped with a fast, interactive way to find the right map, a simple way to
align maps from the same area, a flexible way to reformat and redraw maps and a
method to generate output that is suitable for publication. The program "C2Maps" was developed
to address these needs and includes the following features:
This poster
presents examples of how C2Maps was used to explore and compare several
interesting areas of the oat genome. A
beta version of C2Maps is available by anonymous ftp from: ftp://gnomad.agr.ca/pub/software/c2maps/. This version comes with a sample data set
containing maps of oat, barley, wheat, and rye. For new applications, C2Maps is designed to work with data files
produced by M5 (Multiple Molecular Marker Map Manager), available from ftp://gnomad.agr.ca/pub/software/m5/.