Overview

The Cornell Small Grains Project has a history of over 100 years of developing innovative approaches to crop improvement. Our research program utilizes appropriate technologies encompassing molecular genetics, physiology, pathology, and breeding to research strategies that contribute to the development of superior crop varieties.

Research Focus

Our research program utilizes appropriate technologies encompassing molecular genetics, physiology, pathology, and breeding to research strategies that contribute to the development of superior crop varieties. We collaborate with plant breeders and geneticists around the world including international centers on projects that involve the use of molecular markers to assess genetic relationship, construct linkage maps, and clone genes. The focus of our basic work involves comparative genomics, association mapping, allele characterization and particularly genomic selection methods. Characterization of allelic diversity and allelic value in both wild and cultivated germplasm is fundamental to crop improvement and efficient strategies are a major focus. Current research projects include mapping gene expression QTL for seed dormancy, cloning and characterization of candidate genes underlying QTL for preharvest sprouting resistance, milling and baking quality, kernel size and shape, plant pigments, mapping novel stem rust resistance genes, and nutritional quality. We also recently launched a large project on evaluating ancient and specialty grains.

Our research program utilizes appropriate technologies encompassing molecular genetics, physiology, pathology, and breeding to research strategies that contribute to the development of superior crop varieties. We collaborate with plant breeders and geneticists around the world including international centers on projects that involve the use of molecular markers to assess genetic relationship, construct linkage maps, and clone genes. The focus of our basic work involves comparative genomics, association mapping, allele characterization and particularly genomic selection methods. Characterization of allelic diversity and allelic value in both wild and cultivated germplasm is fundamental to crop improvement and efficient strategies are a major focus. Current research projects include mapping gene expression QTL for seed dormancy, cloning and characterization of candidate genes underlying QTL for preharvest sprouting resistance, milling and baking quality, kernel size and shape, plant pigments, mapping novel stem rust resistance genes, and nutritional quality. We also recently launched a large project on evaluating ancient and specialty grains.

Our research program utilizes appropriate technologies encompassing molecular genetics, physiology, pathology, and breeding to research strategies that contribute to the development of superior crop varieties.

Our research program utilizes appropriate technologies encompassing molecular genetics, physiology, pathology, and breeding to research strategies that contribute to the development of superior crop varieties.

Outreach and Extension Focus

We deliver information on small grains varieties to the public through field days, extension publications, workshops, and web sites.

Teaching Focus

Plant Breeding Laboratory PLBR4060

Plant Breeding Methods and Strategies PLBR7160 Perspectives in Plant Breeding Strategies The objectives of my courses are to: i) stimulate original thought, ii) teach critical thinking and writing, iii) expose students to decisions and problems encountered in plant breeding research programs, and iv) bring together plant breeding methods and principles to form logical, innovative crop improvement programs.

Additional Links

• Department
• Research
• Link to CALS Research and Impact
• Link to Research & Expertise Across Cornell

Awards and Honors

• Outstanding Accomplishments in Applied Research (2012) Cornell College Of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Board Representative of C7 Genomics, Molecular Genetics, and Biotechnology (2012–2015) Crop Science Society of America
• Fellow American Society of Agronomy (2003) American Society of Agronomy
• Panhandle Education Foundation Distinguished Alumnus (2001) Panhandle Education Foundation

Selected Publications

Journal Publications

• Heslot, N., Jannink, J., & Sorrells, M. E. (2012). Using genomic prediction to characterize environments and optimize prediction accuracy in applied breeding data. Crop Science Journal. 52:doi: 10.2135/cropsci2012.07.0420.
• Poland, J. A., Endelman, J., Dawson, J., Rutkoski, J., Wu, S., Manes, Y., Dreisigacker, S., Crossa, J., Sánchez-Villeda, H., Sorrells, M. E., & Jannink, J. (2012). Genomic Selection in Wheat Breeding using Genotyping-by-Sequencing. The Plant Genome. 5:103-113.
• Heslot, N., Yang, H., Sorrells, M. E., & Jannink, J. (2012). Genomic selection in plant breeding: A comparison of models. Crop Science Journal. 52:146-160.
• Zeid , M., Assefa , K., Haddis, A., Chanyalew, S., & Sorrells, M. E. (2012). Genetic diversity in tef (Eragrostis tef) germplasm using SSR markers. Field Crops Research. 127:64-70.
• Rutkoski, J., Benon, J., Brown-Guedira, G., Sorrells, M. E., & Jannink, J. (2012). Evaluation of genomic prediction methods for fusarium head blight resistance in wheat. The Plant Genome. 5:51-61.
• Windhausen, V. S., Atlin, G. N., Hickey, J. M., Crossa, J., Jannink, J., Sorrells, M. E., Raman, B., Cairns, J. E., Tarekegne, A., Semagn, K., Beyene, Y., Grudloyma, P., Technow, F., Riedelsheimer, C., & Melchinger, A. E. (2012). Effectiveness of Genomic Prediction of Maize Hybrid Performance in Different Breeding Populations and Environments. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics. 2:1427-1436.
• Poland, J. A., Brown, P. J., Sorrells, M. E., & Jannink, J. (2012). Development of high-density genetic maps for barley and wheat using a novel two-enzyme genotyping-by-sequencing approach. PLoS One. 7:e32253.
• Williams, K. R., Munkvold, J. D., & Sorrells, M. E. (2012). Comparison of digital image analysis using elliptic Fourier descriptors and major dimensions to phenotype seed shape in hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). . Euphytica. DOI 10.1007/s10681-012-0783-0.
• Yu, L., Morgounov, A., Wanyera, R., Mesut Keser, Sanjay, S. K., & Sorrells, M. E. (2011). Identification of Ug99 Stem Rust Resistance loci in Winter Wheat Germplasm Using Genome-Wide Association Analysis. Theoretical and Applied Genetics. 125:793-805.
• Kulwal, P., Ishikawa, G., Benscher, D., Feng, Z., Yu, L., Jadav, A., Mehetre, S., & Sorrells, M. E. (2011). Association Mapping for Pre-harvest Sprouting Resistance in White Winter Wheat. Theoretical and Applied Genetics. 125:793-805.

Presentations and Activities

• Genomic Selection in Plants: Empirical Results and Implications for Plant Breeding. October 2012. Chungbuk University. Chungbuk, South Korea.
• Genomic Selection in Plants: Empirical Results and Implications for Plant Breeding. October 2012. Suwon University. Suwon, South Korea .
• Genomic Selection in Plants: Empirical Results and Implications for Plant Breeding. October 2012. International Plant Molecular Biology Congress. Jeju, South Korea.
• Genomic Selection in Plants: Empirical Results and Implications for Plant Breeding. August 2012. National Agriculture Research Organization. Tsukuba, Japan.
• Genomic Selection in Plants: Empirical Results and Implications for Plant Breeding. August 2012. International Crop Science Congress, . Bento Gonçalves, Brazil.
• Genomic Selection in Plants: Empirical Results and Implications for Plant Breeding. July 2012. National Alfalfa Conference. Ithaca, NY.
• Genomic selection – a step change in plant breeding. July 2012. IBERS. Aberystwyth, Wales .
• Genomic Selection in Plants: Empirical Results and Implications for Plant Breeding. April 2012. University of California - Davis, CA. University of California - Davis, CA.
• Association Breeding Strategies: Empirical Results and Implications for Germplasm Development . March 2012. Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research . Gatersleben, Germany.
• Genomic Selection in Plants: Empirical Results and Implications for Wheat and Barley Breeding Programs. March 2012. University of Guelph. Guelph, Canada.

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