QUESTION & OBJECTIVE

Question:

   Has genetic erosion occurred in Canadian spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars over the past 160 years while agronomic improvements in these cultivars occurred?

Objective:

    The research objective of my experiment was to conduct a phenotypic and molecular assessment on the genetic diversity of 48 spring wheat cultivars released in Canada from 1841 to 1998. These cultivars represent the major wheats produced across Canada. My intention was twofold: to demonstrate that a gradual improvement in agronomic traits such as increased yield and earlier maturity in cultivars has occurred, and second, to determine if the wheat gene pool has narrowed.