@article{dewitt_lyerly_guedira_holland_murphy_ward_boyles_mergoum_babar_shakiba_et al._2023, title={Bearded or smooth? Awns improve yield when wheat experiences heat stress during grain fill in the southeastern United States}, volume={74}, ISSN={["1460-2431"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erad318}, DOI={10.1093/jxb/erad318}, abstractNote={Abstract
               The presence or absence of awns—whether wheat heads are ‘bearded’ or ‘smooth’ – is the most visible phenotype distinguishing wheat cultivars. Previous studies suggest that awns may improve yields in heat or water-stressed environments, but the exact contribution of awns to yield differences remains unclear. Here we leverage historical phenotypic, genotypic, and climate data for wheat (Triticum aestivum) to estimate the yield effects of awns under different environmental conditions over a 12-year period in the southeastern USA. Lines were classified as awned or awnless based on sequence data, and observed heading dates were used to associate grain fill periods of each line in each environment with climatic data and grain yield. In most environments, awn suppression was associated with higher yields, but awns were associated with better performance in heat-stressed environments more common at southern locations. Wheat breeders in environments where awns are only beneficial in some years may consider selection for awned lines to reduce year-to-year yield variability, and with an eye towards future climates.}, number={21}, journal={JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY}, author={DeWitt, Noah and Lyerly, Jeanette and Guedira, Mohammed and Holland, James B. and Murphy, J. Paul and Ward, Brian P. and Boyles, Richard E. and Mergoum, Mohamed and Babar, Md Ali and Shakiba, Ehsan and et al.}, editor={Dreisigacker, SusanneEditor}, year={2023}, month={Nov}, pages={6749–6759} }
 @article{olson_brown-guedira_noble_smith_forsberg_brisco_brown_2022, title={The 'Minibulk' system for advancing winter cereal breeding populations}, volume={3}, ISSN={["1435-0653"]}, DOI={10.1002/csc2.20718}, abstractNote={AbstractConventional selected‐bulk breeding is a low cost means of advancing populations but requires years of selection in the field to generate fixed lines. Doubled haploid (DH) methods produce fixed lines quickly but without selection and at high cost. The ‘Minibulk’ system was developed to combine the speed of DHs with the population size and crossover opportunities of selected‐bulk breeding. Breeding populations of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were vernalized and advanced at high density in the greenhouse from the F2 to the F4 generation. F4 populations underwent visual selection in the field, and derived lines were genotyped for variants at photoperiod and vernalization alleles and across the genome using genotyping‐by‐sequencing. The number of crossover events and parental genome contributions were determined for recombinant inbred lines (RILs) within populations and among RILs across populations. During vernalization, seeds in all populations germinated and underwent vegetative growth, forming a dense seed mat that was transplanted directly into greenhouse pots. A 22‐h photoperiod accelerated development, and many populations reached physiological maturity as soon as five weeks after transplanting. Increasing the number of seeds planted from 300 in the F2 to 500 in the F3 increased the number of fertile spikes produced, thereby maintaining a larger population size. The number of crossovers detected differed significantly between populations and chromosomes, while the number of crossovers detected in each population was related to marker density. Adoption of the minibulk system by winter cereal breeding programs can lead to significant cost savings and acceleration of the breeding cycle.}, journal={CROP SCIENCE}, author={Olson, Eric and Brown-Guedira, Gina and Noble, Amanda and Smith, Jared and Forsberg, Lance and Brisco, Elizabeth and Brown, Linda}, year={2022}, month={Mar} }