Gates awards $1.6M for dwarf wheat research | Checkbiotech

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	View Edit Domain: GreenBio Title: * Body: Work has begun at Washington State University in hopes of finding a new way to produce dwarf wheat. The work is funded by a $1.6 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.<br /> <br /> WSU researcher Kulvinder Gill in May received the grant from the foundation and the National Science Foundation's Basic Research to Enable Agricultural Development program for his work on developing alternative methods for reducing plant height in wheat.<br /> <br /> Dwarfing is important in wheat because most of the weight of the plant is at the top and can cause lodging, Gill said. The taller the plant, the more likely lodging becomes.<br /> <br /> Under good moisture conditions, dwarfing genes can do wonders, Gill said, but in dryland wheat-growing areas, where the crop is sown deep in the soil, the genes compromise the plant's ability to emerge, Gill said.<br /> <br /> Gill and his team are learning from a gene that's been used in sorghum and corn for decades. The gene reduces plant height by interrupting distribution of a plant hormone, auxin.<br /> <br /> If the gene does the same thing in wheat, Gill should be able to produce a type that is shorter, with better root growth and a bigger spike of wheat.<br /> <br /> "But that's all hypothesis at this point," Gill said.<br /> <br /> Even if the gene does not end up doing the same thing in wheat, Gill said it is certain to generate a lot of information beneficial to growers in the long term.<br /> <br /> A Gates Foundation representative declined to comment for this article.<br /> <br /> "Having different genes to do the same thing is always beneficial, but we are convinced we will be able to generate a better plant that will do better under drought," he said.<br /> <br /> The grant, which funds the initial project for three years, helps Gill to hire additional staff members. <br /> <br /> Copyright © 2009-2010 Capital Press, MediaSpan and The Associated Press where indicated. All rights reserved.<br /> Captcha: Please Enter Code : * Time Zone: * Select the time zone Vocabularies Newsletter: Domain: Show summary in full view Input format Filtered HTML Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Full HTML Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. news_filter Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. More information about formatting options			Related Articles Bill Gates to fund $47m anti-drought GM maize study Genetic Buzzer-Beater Genes May Save Fish More food at lower cost Alarm raised as GMO foods hit market Study: Consumers buying biotech crops GM cotton genes found in wild species MU researchers identify key plant immune response in fight a... Scientists Find Structure of Gene-Editing Protein At long last, how plants make eggs Companies collaborate to increase Nitrogen use efficiency in... Top GreenBio Articles

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