CULTIVAR DEVELOPMENT: ACCELERATED INTROGRESSION OF SYNTHETIC HEXAPLOID DERIVED DIVERSITY INTO AN APPLIED HARD WINTER WHEAT BREEDING PROGRAM

The goal of this project is to investigate the genetic mechanisms that regulate the biosynthesis of the omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in camelina seed. New knowledge obtained from this projectwill greatly advance our understanding of seed lipid metabolism and will also facilitate the development of the next generation camelina varieties to meet future changing markets. Since camelina is closely related to other major brassica oilseed crops such as canola, results from this project will also provide valuable tools to improve those crops for enhanced nutritional values.The specific objectives are:To isolate genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs), and those that respond to a high temperature, in natural variations that influence fatty acid desaturation in camelina seeds by genome wide association studies (GWAS).To discover novel molecular mechanisms controlling fatty acid modification in camelina by characterizing EMS and microRNA misexpression induced mutants; andTo test functions of candidate genes from 1&2 for their effects on improving fatty acid composition by established methods in plant genetics, physiology and biochemstry.