Contact
- workRoom 312 South Laboratory
Sutton Bonington Campus
Sutton Bonington
Leicestershire
LE12 5RD
UK - work0115 951 6024
- fax0115 951 6060
- john.foulkes@nottingham.ac.uk
Research Summary
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Physiological and genetic analysis of ear-fertility traits in wheat
Recent work (Shearman, 2005) has show that yield potential of modern UK winter wheat varieties is sink-limited under favourable post-anthesis conditions, so ear fertility (fertile florets/ear) is a priority target trait for breeders. One BBSRC-funded project (PI JF, CIs Dr Sean Mayes, Zoe Wilson; Post doctoral scientist, Dr Anne Rae) and two PhD studentships are now focused on elucidating the physiological and genetic basis of improved ear fertility in novel CIMMYT wheat lines of large-ear phenotype (long ear rachis, increased spikelet node no./rachis). This research programme is in collaboration with Prof Matthew Reynolds of CIMMYT. The investigations are using a DH population jointly developed by UoN and CIMMYT derived from a cross between an elite UK variety, Rialto, and novel CIMMYT line of large-ear phenotype. The BBSRC-funded project (UoN (lead insitute), CPB-Twyfords Ltd, CIMMYT, ADAS; 2006-10) aims to identify QTLs associated with ear fertility using the DH population and to introgress novel ear fertility genes associated with longer ear rachis derived from CIMMYT germplasm into UK wheat pre-breeding lines. One PhD studentship (Oorbessy Gaju; jointly funded by UoN and CIMMYT; 2003-6) is currently examining the physiological basis of imporved ear fertility in the novel lines and investigating the relationship between ear fertility and grain yield in the DH population in field experiments based at CIMMYT. A secnd HGCA-funded studentship (Adam Docherty; 2005-8) is developing an outline SSR map for the population for QTL detection of specific ear-architecture traits.
Physiological and genetic analysis of resource-use efficiency (N and water) in cereals and OSR
Nitrogen-use efficiency
Wheat and oilseed rape are major arable crops in the UK. To maintain yields, inorganic N fertilisers are applied which represent a cost to the grower and have environmental impacts through N leaching, use of fossil fuels for their manufacture and application, and de-nitrification and associated N2O contributing to global warming. There are therefore both environmental and economic incentives to breed for lower fertiliser N requirement. Two projects are currently focused on the biological question of what traits and genes are responsible for the ability of certain wheat lines to: (1) produce more yield for each kg of fertiliser N applied and (2) demonstrate higher and more stable grain protein concentration than others, and whether the introduction of genes controlling these traits will improve the N-use efficiency of wheat. The research programme works to identify traits and genetic markers in winter wheat backgrounds that breeders can use as selection criteria for variety production. The physiological hypotheses being tested are that (i) higehr N-use efficiency (and lower fertiliser N requirement) in feed wheats is correlated with lower accumulation of stem N at flowering and (ii) higher and more stable grain protein concentration in bread-making wheats is correlated with higher leaf N accumulation at flowering leading to higher grain N remobilisation. The details of the relevant BBSRC-INRA and DEFRA-LINK funded projects are given below. A third DEFRA-LINK-funded project adresses the genetic determinism of N fertilizer requirement in oilseed rape with the UoN work package focusing on the association of rooting triats with efficiency of N uptake.
Drought resistance
Research in a series of DEFRA-funded projects from 1996-2005 has addressed the identification of physiological traits associated with improved drought resistance in adapted UK wheat: flowering time (Foulkes et al., 2004), stem carbohydrate reserves (Foulkes et al., 2002), 'stay-green' (Verma et al., 2004) and water-use efficiency (Foulkes et al, 2001). Mapping drought-resistance traits to identify major QTLs, e.g. for flag-leaf stay green (Verma et al., 2004), and stem CHO reserves in collaboration with John Innes Centre and ADAS. Current research joint with Dr Sayed Azam-Ali (UoN) is focussing on mapping QTLs for water-use efficiency using the 12/13C discrimination technique in UK winter wheat (Commonwealth-funded PhD studentship, Aravinda Kumar; 2003-6) and identifying agronomic strategies for optimising roots and water capture in Mediterranean wheat and barley crops (EUFP6-funded project; PhD stuentship, Pedro de Carvalho; 2005-8).
CURRENT RESREARCH PROJECTS
BBSRC-INRA (BB-IN-06) 2006-10. Identifificatuion of traits and markers for reducing the N requirement and improving the grain protein concemtration in winter wheat. UK Partners: Lead Institute: Univ Nottingham (PI John Foulkes), John Innes Centre, Rothamsted Research. Nottingham funding: £396,966
French Partners: INRA Mons (Lead institute), INRA Clermont-Ferrand.
BBSRC (BB/008972/1) 2006-10 'Raising the ceiling on UK wheat yields - introgression and assessment of novel 'large-ear' CIMMYT germplasm into UK pre-breeding lines' 2006-10. Lead Institute: Univ Nottingham (Lead Institute; PI John Foulkes, CIs Sean Mayes, Zoe Wilson); Collaborators: CIMMYT, CPB-Twyfords Ltd., ADAS. Nottingham funding £296,450
DEFRA-SA LINK 2005-10 'The genetic reduction of energy use and emissions of nitrogen through cereal production: Green Grain' 2004-9.Lead Institute: ADAS; Collaborators: Univ Nott (PI, John Foulkes), SCRI, SWRI, Syngenta Seeds UK Ltd, HGCA, GCFG, Wessex Grain.
DEFRA-SA LINK 'Identification of genetic markers to reduce the nitrogen requirement of oilseed rape' 2006-10. Lead Institute: NE Biofuels: collaborators UoN (PI, John Foulkes), ADAS, Univ Warwick, BASF plc, BP Oil International Ltd, Elsoms Seeds Ltd, HGCA, Nickerson UK Ltd, Syngenta Seeds UK Ltd, Saaten Union UK ltd, Terra Nitrogen UK Ltd.
DEFRA 'Fellowship in Crop Environment Interactions with Pathogenic Fungi.' 2003-7. Lead Institute: ADAS; Collaborators: Univ Nott (PI, John Foulkes)
EU Framework 6 (INCO-MED) 'Management Improvements of WUE and NUE of Mediterranean Strategic Crops (Wheat and Barley): WatNitMED)' 2005-8. Lead Institute: University of Leida; Collaborators: Univ of Nottingham (PI Sayed Azam-Ali, CI John Foulkes), Univ Lleida, Univ Barcelona; IAZM, Spain; LARI, Lebanon; Univ Wageningen University; MTT, Finland; ESHE, Tunisia; INRAT, Tunisia; ICARDA, University of Jordan & IAMB, Italy.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
1. Foulkes, M.J., Sylvester-Bradley, R, Weightman, R. & Snape, J.W. (2007). Identifying physiological traits associated with improved drought resistance in winter wheat Fields Crop Research 103:11-24.
2. Foulkes, M.J., Snape, J.W., Shearman, V.J., Reynolds, M.P., Gaju, O. & Sylvester-Bradley, R. (2007). Genetic progress in yield potential in wheat: recent advances and future prospects. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 145: 17-29.
3. Snape, J.W., Foulkes, M.J., Simmonds, J., Leverington, M., Fish, L.J., Wang, Y. & Ciavarrella, M. (2007). Dissecting gene × environmental effects on wheat yields via QTL and physiological analysis. Euphytica 154: 401-408.
4. Bingham, I.J., Blake, J. Foulkes, M.J. & Spink, J. (2007). Is barley yield in the UK sink limited?: I. Post-anthesis radiation interception, radiation-use efficiency and source-sink balance Field Crops Research 101: 198-211.
5. Bingham, I.J., Blake, J. Foulkes, M.J. & Spink, J. (2007). Is barley yield in the UK sink limited?: II. Factors affecting potential grain size. Field Crops Research 101: 212-220.
6. Foulkes, M.J., Paveley, N.D., Worland, A., Welham, S.J., Thomas, J. & Snape, J.W. (2006). Major genetic changes in wheat with potential to affect disease tolerance. Phytopathology 34: 680-688.
7. Pillinger, C., Paveley, N., Foulkes, M.J. & Spink, J., 2005. Explaining variation in the effects of take-all (Gauumannomyces graminis var tritici) on nitrogen and water uptake by winter wheat. Plant Pathology 54: 491-501.
8. Bailey, D.J., Paveley, N.D., Pillinger, C., Foulkes, M.J., Spink, J.H. & Gillingan, C.A., 2005. Epidemiology and chemical control of take-all on seminal and adventitious roots of wheat. Phytopathology 95: 62-68.
9. Pillinger, C., Paveley, N., Foulkes, M.J. and Spink, J. (2005) Explaining variation in the effects of take-all (Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici) on nitrogen and water uptake by winter wheat. Plant Pathology 54, 491-501.
10. Shearman, V.J., Sylvester-Bradley, R., Scott, R.K. and Foulkes, M.J. (2005) Physiological changes associated with wheat yield progress in the UK. Crop Science, 45: 175-178.
11. Mayes, S., Parsley, K., Sylvester-Bradley, R., May, S. and Foulkes, J. (2005). 'Integrating Genetic information into plant breeding programmes: how will we produce new varieties from molecular variation using bioinformatics?' Annals of Applied Biology 146: 223-237.
12. Verma, V., Foulkes, M.J., Caligari, P., Sylvester-Bradley, R. and Snape, J. (2004). Mapping quantitative trait loci for flag leaf senescence as a yield determinant in winter wheat under optimal and drought-stressed environments. Euphytica 135: 255-263.
13. Parker, S.R., Welham, S., Paveley, N.D., Foulkes, M.J. & Scott, R.K. (2004). Evidence for tolerance to Septoria leaf blotch in winter wheat. Plant Pathology 53: 1-10.
14. Foulkes,M.J., Sylvester-Bradley, R., Worland, A and Snape, J. (2004) . Effects of a photoperiod sensitivity gene Ppd-D1 on yield potential and drought resistance in UK winter wheat. Euphytica 135: 63-74.
15. Berry, P.M., Spink, J. H., Foulkes, M.J. & Wade, A. (2003) Quantifying the contributions of and losses of dry matter from non-surviving shoots in four cultibvars of winter wheat. Field Crops Research 80: 112-121.
16. King, J., Gay, A., Sylvester-Bradley, R., Bingham, I., Foulkes, M.J., Gregory, P. & Robinson, R. (2003). Modelling cereal root systems for water and nitrogen capture: towards and economic optimum. Annals of Botany 91: 383-390.
17. Foulkes, M.J., Scott, R.K. and Sylvester-Bradley, R. (2002). The ability of wheat cultivars to withstand drought in UK conditions : yield formation. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge, 138, 153-169.
18. Foulkes, M.J., Scott, R.K. and Sylvester-Bradley, R. (2001). The ability of wheat cultivars to withstand drought in UK conditions: resource capture Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge, 137, 1-16.
Short Educational/Career History
Higher education
1983 - 1986. University of Leeds BSc (Hons) Agricultural Science, (Crops): 2,1
1987 - 1991. University of Wales, Aberystwyth, PhD in Crop Science: "Effects of population density of Apion flavipes seed weevil on white clover seed production".
Employment history
Feb 2004 - present : Senior Research Fellow, Division of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, University of Nottingham
Feb 1994 - Feb 2004: Research Associate, Division of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, University of Nottingham
Nov 1991 - Feb 1994, Higher Scientific Officer, NIAB, Cambridge
Selected Publications
SPINK, J. H., KIRBY, E. J. M., FROST, D. L., SYLVESTER-BRADLEY, R., SCOTT, R. K., FOULKES, M. J., CLARE, R. W. and EVANS, E. J., 2000. Agronomic implications of variation in wheat development due to variety, sowing date, site and season Plant Varieties and Seeds. VOL 13(PART 2), 91-106
PASK, AJD, SYLVESTER-BRADLEY, R, JAMIESON, PD and FOULKES, MJ, 2012. Quantifying how winter wheat crops accumulate and use nitrogen reserves during growth Field Crops Research. 126, 104-118