Breeding New Rye Cultivars for Kentucky - Year 2

The primary aim of this research is to develop and evaluate improved cereal rye populations for use by Kentucky producers to boost the sustainability of their operations and widening the array of crops they may choose to grow. Breeding new rye populations from existing varieties has the goal of competing with the superior yields of commercial hybrid rye varieties, but reducing seed costs by using open-pollination rather than inbreds and male sterility that are needed for hybrid production. Our focus is on earlier maturing, disease-resistant, and lodging-resistant lines. Use of cereal rye as a cover crop is a clear way of increasing sustainability of farming, by reducing erosion, retaining soil mineral nutrients (especially applied fertilizers), and by boosting soil organic matter content. Ideally, we will produce new varieties that have high yields of superior quality grain, and are better adapted to Kentucky than existing varieties and hybrids.