Dr. Scott D. Haley Associate Professor  Department of Soil and Crop Sciences shaley@lamar.colostate.edu

The primary focus of the winter wheat breeding and genetics program is cultivar and germplasm development for Colorado and the west central Great Plains. Field and laboratory research activities are oriented toward genetic improvement for: yield and stability of yield; end-use quality characteristics (milling, baking, noodles); resistance or tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses (Russian wheat aphid, leaf and stem rust, wheat streak mosaic virus, common root rot, high temperature and drought stress, winter freeze stress); and optimum agronomic adaptation (stand establishment and lodging resistance). Spatial statistic applications and relational database development are exploited to improve program efficiency and enhance genetic gain. Biotechnological tools are currently applied to the breeding effort in the areas of marker-assisted selection (for intergeneric introgressions) and wheat-maize doubled haploid development (for gene pyramiding and parent building).