This document discusses challenges and opportunities for wheat breeding in the 21st century. It outlines the need to address nutritional security threats through transformative plant breeding using new technologies like genomics, phenomics, and genome editing. It emphasizes taking an interdisciplinary systems approach that integrates social sciences to develop crops with improved productivity, efficiency, nutrition, and resilience in a changing environment.

1. McFadden Redux
21st Century Challenges and Breeding
Sonny Ramaswamy
Norman and monococcum wheats photo, courtesy of Bikram Gill, Kansas State University
Background image, courtesy of Robert Zemetra, Oregon State University

2. Edgar S. McFadden (1891-1956)
“Where there is no hope, people perish.”
Emmer photo, courtesy of Jude Maul, USDA-ARS
Bread wheat photo, courtesy of Bikram Gill, K-State
Mcfadden and Hope wheat photo from https://www.sdstate.edu/impact2018/goals/goal3/landmark-discovery.cfm
Stem rust photo from http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=9910
Perseverance
Innovation
Impact
Emmer Bread Wheat

5. Nutritional Security
An Existential Threat

6. Science
Perfect Storm
http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes/pub/goes/050828.katrina.gif

8. Path Forward
• Transformative Discoveries
• 21st Century Extension
• Farming Systems
• Education
• Policies, Regulation, Marketing
• Human Dimensions
• Communications

9. Path Forward

10. • Abiotic Variables
– Soil characteristics, nutrients, sunlight, temperature,
and other weather and climatic conditions
• Biotic Variables
– Plant genes and physiology, pathogenic and non-
pathogenic microbes, invertebrates
– Microbiomes and plant performance
• E.g., Endophyte impacts on plant hormones and plant
development
– Nematodes, arthropods, other invertebrates and
plant performance
Productivity

11. Cellular Level
Gene Interactions
Gene Networks
Signalling
Environment
Organismal Level
Efficiency
Photosynthesis
Nutrient & Water Use
Environmental Signals
Resource Allocation
Community Level
Interactions
Biotic
Abiotic
New Approaches/New Opportunities
Systems Approaches

12. • Genotyping and Phenotyping Technologies
– High-throughput next-gen tools
– Data management and processing
– Computational infrastructure
– Standards for metadata for machine inter-operability
– Access and human resources
• Statistical and Quantitative Genetics
– Genomic selection and new technologies (e.g., genomics,
phenomics, image analysis) for rapid, low cost breeding
• Observational Science to Information Science to
Predictive Science
– Genotype X Environment X Management

13. • Genome Editing, Heterosis, Doubled Haploids
– Defined genetic changes to complement traditional marker-
assisted breeding approaches
– Polyploids and genome editing challenges
– Genes to change, delete, or substitute to enhance productivity
– Optimizing heterosis and mechanisms to increase yields
– Innovative technologies to enable creation of high throughput
doubled haploids
– Communicate value of genome editing technologies is an
important step in easing public angst

14. • Productivity and Efficiency
– Photosynthesis: C3 to C4
– N fixation in cereals
– N, P, and water use efficiency
– Resistance and tolerance to biotic and abiotic constraints
• Nutritional Traits
– E.g., Resistant starch: TCAP project
• Component of dietary fiber, reduced blood glucose and insulin levels,
increased satiation, lower cholesterol, and improved gastrointestinal
health
– E.g., Bioavailability of macro- and micronutrients in bean and
rice bran: Colorado State University

15. Genomes to Field

16. #BigData

17. Big Data: Milieu
• Analytics
• Informatics
• Evidence-Based Tools
• Meta-Analysis and Synthesis
• Complex Systems
• Computational Sciences
• Data Engineering
• Data Mining
• Cloud Computing
• Implementation and Evaluation
• Data Security and Cybersecurity
• Predictive Modeling
• Data Visualization
• Decision Analytics
• Embedded Systems
• Machine Learning
• Multidimensional Data
• Network Science
• Sensor Networks
• Spatial Analytics
• Bandwidth
• Cyberphysical Systems

18. Big Data: Opportunities
Open Data is a powerful,
evidence-based tool for long-
term sustainable development
by improving economic
opportunities for farmers and
health of consumers.
Open access to research, meta-
analysis, and open publication
of data are vital resources for
nutritional security.
Iain Chalmers: Cochrane Collaboration
http://www.cochrane.org
Transparent, Collaborative, Participatory
Archibald Cochrane

19. Big Data: Challenges
• Standards
• Ownership
– Open Ag Technology Systems
• Decision Support Tools
– Open Ag Toolkit – NIFA funded
– FarmBot
• Cost
• Bandwith
• Quality
• Curation
• Disambiguation
• Connectivity
• Cybersecurity
• Storage
Courtesy: Dennis Buckmaster; https://engineering.purdue.edu/oatsgroup/

20. Policies/Regulation/Marketing
• Governance
• Socially beneficial policies, programs
• Poverty reduction
• Education
• Trade – “glocalization”
• Jobs
• Environmental degradation/conservation

21. NIFA’s Role

23. • AFRI Foundational Plant Health and Production and Plant
Products Program
– Pre-breeding and germplasm enhancement, cultivar development,
selection theory, applied quantitative genetics, and breeding
– Conventional breeding for development of publicly available cultivars
• AFRI Foundational CARE and ERG program
• AFRI Food Security Challenge Area
– Breeding and phenomics of crops to produce varieties with improved
resilience to extreme weather and increased protection from pests
– Enhanced nutritional composition for improved human health
– Training next generation of plant breeders
• AFRI Education and Literacy Initiative
– Undergraduate, predoctoral, and postdoctoral fellowships
Funding Opportunities

24. • NIFA International Wheat Yield Partnership
– Breakthrough breeding, genetics, and genomics
• NIFA/DOE Joint Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy Program
– Breeding and genomics to develop new feedstocks
• Early Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) NSF/NIFA
Joint Funding
– Breakthrough technologies for animal and plant phenomics and
microbiomes
• Plant Biotic Interactions Program NSF/NIFA Joint Funding
– Processes mediating beneficial and antagonistic interactions between
plants, symbionts, and pests
• NIFA/ARPA-E
– TERRA Genomes to Phenomes/Field program
• NIFA/NIDDK Dietary Biomarkers
– Food specific molecular profiles and dietary biomarkers

25. Humans Matter
• Consumers, businesses, groups, communities,
towns, states and countries make decisions
• Acceptance of technologies
• People impacts
• Social Sciences
Behavior, Choices, Attitudes
Risk and Change
• Nexus of Bio-Physical and Social Sciences
• Communications

26. ….think anew, and act anew.
- Abraham Lincoln