A problem found in semidwarf spring wheat fields is the occurance of tall off types which impede seed certification and farmer acceptance. These off types can occur for several reasons. For one, they may result from mixed seed. Although wheat is usually self pollinating, it can also result from outcrossing. Additionally, it may be due to chromosome loss. The semidwarf growth habit of wheat is due to dwarfing genes, referred to as Rht genes, and the loss of a chromosome carrying the gene results in taller phenotypes. In order to determine the nature of the tall off types, SDS page protein gel electrophoresis was run on storage protein from seeds of tall plants. Because of different banding patterns, hybrids and plants from mixed seed were identified and removed from the sampling population. Leaf samples from progeny of the remaining off types were collected and DNA was extracted. STS-PCR was performed and the amplified products were run on gel electrophoresis to see if the offspring were nullisomic. By finding nullisomic plants, which theoretically should occur in 5 to 10% of the offspring, it led support to the hypothesis that the parental off types were tall because they were monosomic for the chromosome carrying the dwarfing gene.
The EPSCoR program has enabled me to gain valuable laboratory experience that I might not otherwise have been exposed to. Not only have I been introduced to techniques and equipment that I don t have access to at school, but I have gotten to work with each enough to become familiar with them. This, combined with my EPSCoR experience in field work last summer, has given me a well rounded idea of what a plant breeding program entails. I am grateful to Dr. Luther Talbert for allowing me this opportunity.
Although I am nearing the end of my undergraduate career, I had not made any concrete decisions about what further degrees I intended on pursuing. This EPSCoR experience has convinced me that I would like to continue my education past earning my Bachelor of Science degree. I feel that my chances of being accepted into a graduate school have increased because the experience I have gained through the EPSCoR program.