Identification and exploitation of genome structural variants for trait improvement in Prairie crops

Dr. Andrew Sharpe, University of Saskatchewan

Start Date: April 1, 2021                 

End Date: March 31, 2025

AWC’s funding: $57,500

Structural variation is an untapped resource of variation that has been shown to be linked with key complex agronomic traits such as yield. In hybrid crops, SVs can unravel heterotic patterns as well as improve prediction values in genomic selection pipelines. As such the current project aims to:

1) Development of canola (Brassica napus) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) pan-genome structural variant (PanSV) atlases

2) Development of highthroughput structural variant (SV) genotyping pipeline

3) Highthroughput genotyping of SVs on canola and wheat populations

4) Association of SVs with important agronomic traits

5) Functional annotation of SV markers on the impact on phenotypes in wheat and canola