Email: mascher@ipk-gatersleben.de

The great effort spent in the maintenance of past diversity in genebanks is rationalized by the potential role of plant genetic resources in future crop improvement – a concept whose practical implementation some think has fallen short of expectations. Here, we implement a genomics-informed pre-breeding strategy for wheat improvement that does not discriminate against non-adapted germplasm.

We collect and analyse dense genetic profiles for a large winter wheat collection and evaluate grain yield and resistance to yellow rust in bespoke core sets. Breeders already profit from wild introgressions but plant genetic resources still offer useful, yet unused diversity. Potential donors of resistance sources not yet deployed in breeding were detected, while the pre-breeding contribution of plant genetic resources to yield was estimated through ‘Elite×Plant genetic resources’ F1 crosses.

Genomic prediction within and across genebanks identified the best parents to be used in crosses with elite cultivars whose advanced progenies can outyield current wheat varieties in multiple field trials.