Comparison and Standardization of Wheat Pre-Harvest Sprouting Screening Methods, Preliminary Screening of Genomic Panel Lines

Abstract

Preharvest sprouting (PHS) in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.) is a significant problem in the United States, with many ways to evaluate it. When unharvested wheat begins to sprout, the grain begins to germinate reducing functional quality. Screening methods for PHS can range from in-situ spike misting to seed wetting. Each method has multiple published protocols, each with differing results. This experiment sought to compare two common screening methods, in-situ spike misting and seed wetting, from both field grown, and greenhouse grown seed sources. The experiment was comprised of 528 wheat lines in 2020 and a 50-genotype subset in 2021. Results from the correlation of methods analysis yielded a high correlation (r=0.74). Results from the correlation of sourced material analysis yielded a high correlation also (r=0.87). A preliminary genome wide association study identified a significant QTL present on chromosome 4A. This work will serve as a foundation for future studies.