b'time and effort to move the three novel, low viscosity genes from one quality group into another. Thats where the partnership with plant breeder Limagrain comes in. A backcross conversion in winter wheat takes about three years to complete and this process also helps to removes the other random mutations that are present in the original TILLING lines. he says. We use genetic markers to speed up the recov-ery of the soft wheat genetic background. Altogether, it makes it quite a lengthy and challenging process.For example, Berry says theyve faced some technical dif-ficulties, which theyve attributed to linked, deleterious mutations that initially prevented them from obtaining the novel low viscos-ity genes in a soft wheat background.Berry shares another issue theyve faced, which is the low seed multiplication rate of wheat.At the end of the backcross process you only have a fewAbove shows the results of a SNP chip from the reverse genetics plants that are true breeding for the three novel genes, he says,approach used by Berry and Mitchell.and with a seed multiplication rate of about 40:1, it then takes several field seasons to generate several tons of seed.In the meantime, Berry and Mitchell share that theyve been working with a distiller in the U.K. to test the novel wheat in the original breadmaking background.Berry shares that the seed harvest from these first field multi-plications were collected the week of Aug. 17.From there, SWRI is going to run some lab tests to make sure we have the low viscosity phenotype before running some pilot distillations with the grain, he says.However, in this pilot trial, Berry shares that theres only one thing that still concerns them.The harvested seed lots need to be extremely pure, he says. We think that if theres contamination with normal wheat seed then its possible that we might lose the low viscosity phenotype. But thats something that well need to investigate.Potentially, if all goes well and they succeed in getting theseLow viscosity hard wheat field ready for seed harvest. low viscosity genes into a soft wheat background, the next stage is then more plant breeding to develop commercial soft wheatAlcohol yield is a key importance, Mitchell says. When we varieties with all the agronomic characteristics that growerstested for the viscosity, we also routinely measured the alcohol want. Think high yield, disease resistance and good grain quality,yield.amongst other things.Were not sure what the alcohol yield will be, Berry says. From the breeding point of view, the difficulty lies in the factIts very environmentally dependent, but as part of the official that the breeding populations have to be much, much larger intrials process, any new, soft wheat varieties are tested for distill-order to find enough lines carrying the three novel genes thating by SWRI.you can then assess in yield trials, Berry says. At every stageMitchell says, compared to their control wheat line, which is of the breeding process we will need to use genetic markers togenetically very similar to the low viscosity wheat but lacks the follow the low viscosity genes and well also use genomic selec- three novel genes, the alcohol yield is actually better. tion predictions to enable early generation selection of the bestCompared to the control, we have a good alcohol yield, breeding material. but compared to other varieties, its poor, Mitchell says. Once The final, and perhaps most important thing behind the lowLimagrain transfers this low viscosity trait into a soft wheat, high viscosity trait, that the two researchers are looking for in thesealcohol yield will be more of a forefront. Theres no reason the varieties are the percentage of alcohol yield.alcohol yield will go downwere even hoping it goes up!SWOCTOBER 2020SEEDWORLD.COM /9'