Why is this population important?

Parental lines

UC1113 is one of our highest yielding lines, with very stable yields in different environments and planting dates, but with intermediate pasta quality parameters. Kofa is one of the best quality durums with excellent color (score 10), very low lipoxygenase activity, high protein and very strong gluten. Yields are significantly lower than UC1113 in every environment and year. Yield and yield components will be also studied in this population.

The map

We decided to focus our mapping population on durum because it is a high valuable crop in CA. The “Desert durums” are being marketed by emphasizing its excellent quality, which has been the driving force in the international interest in this special subclass of durums. Unfortunately little is known about the genetic factors determining quality in this particular group of germplasm. The main objective of our mapping population is to investigate the genetic factors contributing to grain protein content, yellow pigment, lipoxygenase activity, and gluten strength.