Cereal grains provide approximately 63% of the calories and 50% of the protein consumed by the human population worldwide (Harlan, 1982). Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and rice (Oryza sativa) surpass all other food crops in their importance. Wheat has the highest global acreage, with an annual production of 560 million tons. The value of the United States 1996 wheat crop was $9.7 billion (NASS estimate). Recently, Pinstrup-Andersen et al (1999) of the International Food Policy Research Institute estimated that nearly 73 million people will be added to the world's population every year from now until 2020. During that time, rising incomes in the hands of millions of people in developing countries will spur a large increase in global demand for food. To close the large gap between food production and demand projected for 2020: the world's farmers must produce 40 percent more rice, wheat, and other grains; developing countries must double their cereal imports; and 60 percent of the developing world's cereal imports will likely come from the United States (Pinstrup-Andersen et al. 1999). Continuing to feed the growing world population will require a dramatic increase in production per acre of arable land.

The goal of the cooperative USDA-ARS/Purdue University Small Grains Research Program is to genetically enhance wheat and oat germplasm and develop varieties that are improved for production traits, end use qualities, and new and durable resistance to important viruses, insect pests, and fungal diseases. Classical genetics and biotechnology are applied to introgress traits from diverse germplasm and to improve breeding methods and selection efficiency for plant traits. Biotechnology includes the development of DNA markers for specific genes and the genomic and proteomic analyses of important plant traits and pathways leading to pest resistance. This coordinated research program includes geneticists, agronomists, entomologists, fungal pathologists, and virologists.

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