The effect of changing environmental conditions on composite cross winter wheat populations over six years from the F8 to the F14.

Summary

A lack of appropriate crop varieties specifically bred for the higher biotic and abiotic stresses experienced in organic and low-input systems, has driven novel breeding approaches such as Composite Cross Populations (CCPs) and other genotype mixtures, thereby increasing both intra- and inter-varietal diversity. The creation of CCPs using carefully chosen parental varieties, coupled with the ability of the populations to adapt to local environments means that these populations are well suited for low-input and organic agricultural systems (Phillips and Wolfe, 2005). COBRA (Coordinating Organic plant BReeding Activities for Diversity) aims to “support and develop plant breeding and seed production in Europe by increasing the use of plant material with High genetic Diversity (Hi-D) through coordinating, linking and expanding existing breeding and research in cereals (wheat and barley) and grain legumes (pea and faba bean)”.
Three winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) CCPs were created in 2001, through collaboration with the Elm Farm Research Centre and the John Innes Institute. In 2005, seed batches of the F4 of these populations were equally divided and distributed to three additional partners (France, Hungary and the University of Kassel). In 2007, it was decided to submit one of the CCPs to changes in environments every year. A pattern was developed between eight partners whereby these “cycling” populations would be grown in a plot of >100m2 and sent to the next cycling partner the following year. The original partners (UK, Hungary and Germany) have also maintained their original “non-cycling” populations for comparison.