Robert J. Graf, Ph.D., P.Ag.

Principal Research Scientist, Winter Wheat Breeding

Development of field-ready cultivars of winter wheat germplasm adapted to western Canada

Lethbridge, AB

Current research and/or projects

Mandate: The development of winter wheat cultivars for the various agri-climatic regions of western Canada that combine high yield and cold tolerance with superior productivity traits, enhanced disease and pest resistance, and end-use quality profiles that serve traditional and emerging markets.

Research and/or project statements

Principal Investigator

Enhancing the stability of recent yield advances in western Canadian winter wheat. Western Winter Wheat Initiative, 2016-2020. To breed improved disease and pest resistance into new higher yielding CWRW wheat cultivars to enhance the long term durability of the yield gains that have been recently been achieved.
Development of improved wnter wheat cultivars for western Canada. Canadian National Wheat Cluster, 2018-2023. To develop improved field-ready cultivars of winter wheat for western Canada.
Premium quality hard red winter wheat for western Canada. Agriculture Funding Consortium, 2019-2022. To develop over the medium term, winter wheat cultivars with CWRS-like end-use quality with yield, agronomics, and disease resistance competitive with current cultivars at the time of registration.

Education and awards

Education

PhD, Plant Breeding & Agronomy, University of Saskatchewan (1989)
BSA (Great Distinction), Agronomy, University of Saskatchewan (1982)

Awards

2020 Canadian Plant Breeding and Genetics Award
2016 ASTech Leadership Foundation Award for Innovation in Agricultural Science
2015 AAFC Gold Harvest Award for Innovation, Collaboration & Service Excellence
2015 Canadian Society of Agronomy Best Paper Award (co-author)
2012 Canadian Seed Growers Association, Honorary Life Membership
2010 Alberta Seed Growers Association, Honorary Life Membership

Key publications

For a complete list of publications, please visit: AAFC Online

Cultivars Developed (career)

Principal Developer

2020 W583 (name tbd) Canada Western Red Winter (CWRW) wheat
2019 AAC Network (W569) CWRW
2018 AAC Icefield (W530) Canada Western Experimental wheat (hard white winter)
2016 AAC Goldrush (W526) CWRW
2015 AAC Wildfire (W512) CWRW
2014 AAC Elevate (W495) CWRW
2012 AAC Gateway (W478) CWRW
2011 Emerson (W454) CWRW
2010 Flourish (W434) CWRW
2008 Broadview (W425) Canada Western Special Purpose (CWSP) wheat
2001 Journey (BW243) Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat
1998 Prodigy (BW220) CWRS
1997 McKenzie (BW205) CWRS (reclassified to CNHR in 2018)

Co-developer

2 winter wheats
9 spring wheats
2 spring triticales

Peer Reviewed Publications (since 2010)

2020

Aboukhaddour, A., Fetch, T., McCallum, B.D., Harding, M.W., Beres, B.L., and Graf, R.J. 2020. Wheat diseases on the prairies: a Canadian story. Plant Path. 69: 418-432. doi: 10.1111/ppa.13147.
Collier, G.R.S., Spaner, D.M., Graf, R.J., and Beres, B.L. 2020. The integration of spring and winter wheat genetics with agronomy for ultra-early planting into cold soils. Front. Plant Sci. 11: 89. doi: 10.3389/ fpls.2020.00089.
Graf, R.J., Larsen, R.J., Beres, B.L., Aboukhaddour, R., Laroche, A., Randhawa, H.S., and Foroud, N.A. 2020. AAC Network hard red winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. (in press)

2019

Bahrani, H., Thoms, K., Baga, M., Larsen, R., Graf, R., Laroche, A., Sammynaiken, R., and Chibbar, R.N. 2019. Preferential accumulation of glycosylated cyanidins in winter-hardy rye (Secale cereale L.) genotypes during cold acclimation. Environ. Exp. Bot. 164: 203-212. doi: 10.1016/jenvexpbot.2019.05.006.
Isaak, C., Sapirstein, H., Wu, Y., and Graf, R. 2019. Effects of water absorption and salt on discrimination of wheat gluten strength assessed by dough mixing and protein composition. J. Cereal Sci. 89: in press. doi: 10.1016/j.jcs.2019.04.007.
Laroche, A., Frick, M., Graf, R.J., Larsen, J., and Laurie, J.D. 2019. Pyramiding disease resistance genes in elite winter wheat germplasm for Western Canada. Crop Journal 7: 739-749. doi: 10.1016/j.cj.d.2019.08.005.

2018

Beres, B.L., Brûlé-Babel, A.L., Ye, Z., Graf, R.J., Turkington, T.K., Harding, M., Kutcher, H.R., and Hooker, D. 2018. Exploring Genotype x Environment x Management synergies to manage fusarium head blight in wheat. Can. J. Plant Path. 40: 179-188. doi: 10.1080/07060661.2018.1445661.
Beres, B.L., Graf, R.J., Irvine, R.B., O’Donovan, J.T., Harker, K.N., Johnson, E.N., Brandt, S., Hao, X., Thomas, B.W., Janzen, H.H., Turkington, T.K., and Stevenson, F.C. 2018. Enhanced N management strategies for winter wheat production in the Canadian prairies. Can J. Plant Sci. 98: 683-702. doi: 10.1139/CJPS-2017-0319.
Graf, R.J., Beres, B.L., Larsen, R.J., Randhawa, H.S., Gaudet, D.A., Laroche, A., Eudes, F., and Foroud, N.A. 2018. AAC Goldrush hard red winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 98: 467-474. doi: 10.1139/CJPS-2017-0167.
Graf, R.J., Beres, B.L., Randhawa, H.S., Gaudet, D.A., and Laroche, A. 2018. AAC Icefield hard white winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 98: 1395-1405. doi: 10.1139/CJPS-2018-0084.
Larson, R.J., Beres, B.L., Blackshaw, R.E., and Graf, R.J. 2018. Extending the growing season – winter cereals in western Canada. Can J. Plant Sci. 98: 267-277. doi: 10.1139/CJPS-2017-0278.
Sapirstein, H., Wu, Y., Koksel, F., and Graf, R. 2018. A study of factors influencing the water absorption capacity of Canadian hard red winter wheat. J. Cereal Sci. 81: 52-59. doi: 10.1016/j.jcs.2018.01.012.
Whittal, A., Kaviani, M., Graf, R., Humphreys, H., and Navabi, A. 2018. Allelic variation of vernalization and photoperiod response genes in a diverse set of North American high latitude winter wheat genotypes. PLoS One 13(8) e0203068. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203068.

2017

Brar, G.S., Graf, R., Knox, R., Campbell, H., and Kutcher, H.R. 2017. Reaction of differential wheat and triticale genotypes to natural stripe rust [Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici] in Saskatchewan, Canada. Can J. Plant Pathol. 39: 138-148. doi: 10.1080/07060661.2017.1341433.
Graf, R.J., Beres, B.L., Gaudet, D.A., Thomas, J.B., and Butts, R.A. 2017. AAC Wildfire hard red winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 97: 183-191. doi: 10.1139/CJPS-2016-0155.
Nilsen, K.T., N’Diaye, A., MacLachlan, P.R., Clarke, J.M., Ruan, Y., Cuthbert, R.D., Knox, R.E., Wiebe, K., Cory, A.T., Walkowiak, S., Beres, B.L., Graf, R.J., Clarke, F.R., Sharpe, A.G., Distelfield, A., and Pozniak, C.J. 2017. High density mapping and haplotype analysis of the major stem-solidness locus SSt1 in durum and common wheat. PLoS One 12(4): e0175285. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0175285.
Perez-Lara, E., Semagn, K., Chen, H., Tran, V.A., Ciechanowska, I., Iqbal, M., N’Diaye, A., Pozniak, C., Strelkov, S.E., Hucl, P.J., Graf, R.J., Randhawa, H., and Spaner, D. 2017. Allelic variation and effects of 16 candidate genes on disease resistance in western Canadian spring wheat cultivars. Mol. Breeding 37: 23. Published online 21 Feb 2017. doi: 10.1007/s11032-017-0627-7.
Perez-Lara, E., Semagn, K., Tran, V.A., Ciechanowska, I., Chen, H., Iqbal, M., N’Diaye, A., Pozniak, C., Strelkov, S.E., Hucl, P.J., Graf, R.J., Randhawa, H., and Spaner, D. 2017. Population structure and genome wide association analysis of resistance to disease and insensitivity to Ptr toxins in Canadian wheat using 90K SNP array. Crop Sci. 57: 1522-1539. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2016.10.0859.
Ye, Z., Brûlé-Babel, A.L., Graf, R.J., Mohr, R., and Beres, B.L. 2017. The role of genetics, growth habit, and cultural practices in the mitigation of Fusarium head blight. Can. J. Plant Sci. 97: 316-328. doi: 10.1139/CJPS-2016-0336.
Zou, J., Semagn, K., Chen, H., Iqbal, M., Asif, M., N’Diaye, A., Navabi, A., Perez-Lara, E., Pozniak, C., Yang, R.-C., Graf, R.J., Randhawa, H., and Spaner, D. 2017. Mapping of QTLs associated with resistance to common bunt, tan spot, leaf rust, and stripe rust in a spring wheat population. Mol. Breeding 37: 144. doi: 10.1007/s11032-017-0746-1.

2015

Graf, R.J., Beres, B.L., Randhawa, H.S., Gaudet, D.A., Laroche, A., and Eudes, F. 2015. AAC Elevate hard red winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 1021-1027. doi: 10.4141/CJPS-2015-094.
Hucl, P., Briggs, C., Graf, R.J., and Chibbar, R.N. 2015. Genetic gains in agronomic and selected end-use quality traits over a century of plant breeding of Canada Western Red Spring wheat. Cereal Chem. 92: 537-543. doi: 10.1094/CCHEM-02-15-0029-R.
Randhawa, H.S., Graf, R.J., Fox, S.L., and Sadasivaiah, R.S. 2015. AAC Proclaim general purpose spring wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 1265-1269. doi: 10.4141/CJPS-2015-006.
Randhawa, H.S., Graf, R.J., and Sadasivaiah, R.S. 2015. AAC Indus soft white spring wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 793-797. doi: 10.4141/CJPS-2015-026.
Randhawa, H.S., Graf, R.J., and Sadasivaiah, R.S. 2015. AAC Innova general purpose spring wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 787-791. doi: 10.4141/CJPS-2015-024.
Rasmussen, J., Gilroyed, B.H., Reuter, T., Badea, A., Eudes, F., Graf, R., Laroche, A., Kav, N.N.V., and McAllister, T.A. 2015. Protein can be taken up by damaged wheat roots and transported to the stem. J. Plant Biol. 58: 1-7. doi: 10.1007/s12374-014-0258-z.
Salmon, D.F., Helm, J.H., Graf, R.J., Albers, S., Aljarrah, M., Xi, K., Oro, M., Lohr, S., and Bergen, C. 2015. Pintail general purpose winter wheat. Can J. Plant Sci. 95: 1271-1276. doi: 10.4141/CJPS-2015-165.

2014

Randhawa, H.S., Graf, R.J., and Sadasivaiah, R.S. 2014. AAC Chiffon soft white spring wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 1303-1308. doi: 10.4141/CJPS-2014-029.
Rasmussen, J., Gilroyed, B.H., Reuter, T., Badea, A., Eudes, F., Graf, R.J., Laroche, A., Kav, N.N.V., and McAllister, T.A. 2014. Efficiency of protein as a nitrogen source for wheat and morphological changes in roots exposed to high protein concentrations. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 603-613. doi: 10.4141/CJPS2013-187.
Thomas, J.B. and Graf, R.J. 2014. Rates of yield gain of hard red spring wheat in western Canada. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 1-13. doi: 10.4141/CJPS2013-160.

2013

Badea, A., Eudes, F., Laroche, A., Graf, R., Doshi, K., Amundsen, E., Nilsson, D., and Puchalski, B. 2013. Antimicrobial peptides expressed in wheat reduce susceptibility to Fusarium head blight and powdery mildew. Can. J. Plant Sci. 93: 199-208. doi: 10.4141/CJPS2012-125.
Beres, B.L., Pozniak, C.J., Bressler, D., Gibreel, A., Eudes, F., Graf, R.J., Randhawa, H.S., Salmon, D.F., McLeod, G.J., Dion, Y., Irvine, R.B., Voldeng, H.D., Martin, R.A., Pageau, D., Comeau, A., DePauw, R.M., Phelps, S.M., and Spaner, D.M. 2013. A Canadian ethanol feedstock study to benchmark the relative performance of triticale: II. Grain quality and ethanol production. Agron. J. 105: 1707-1720. doi: 10.2134/agronj2013.0193.
Beres, B.L., Pozniak, C.J., Eudes, F., Graf, R.J., Randhawa, H.S., Salmon, D.F., McLeod, G.J., Dion, Y., Irvine, R.B., Voldeng, H.D., Martin, R.A., Pageau, D., Comeau, A., DePauw, R.M., Phelps, S.M., and Spaner, D.M. 2013. A Canadian ethanol feedstock study to benchmark the relative performance of triticale: I. Agronomics. Agron. J. 105: 1695-1706. doi: 10.2134/agronj/2013.0192.
Gaudet, D.A., Puchalski, B.J., Despins, T., McCartney, C., Menzies, J.G., and Graf, R.J. 2013. Seeding date and location affect winter wheat infection by common bunt (Tilletia tritici and T. laevis) in western Canada. Can. J. Plant Sci. 93: 483-489. doi: 10.4141/CJPS2012-176.
Graf, R.J., Beres, B.L., Laroche, A., Gaudet, D.A., Eudes, F., Pandeya, R.S., Badea, A., and Randhawa, H.S. 2013. Emerson hard red winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 93: 741-748. doi: 10.4141/CJPS2012-262.
Graf, R.J., Beres, B.L., Randhawa, H.S., Gaudet, D.A., Badea, A., Laroche, A., Eudes, F., and Pandeya, R.S. 2013. AAC Gateway hard red winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 93: 541-548. doi: 10.4141/CJPS2012-266.
Randhawa, H.S., Asif, M., Pozniak, C., Clarke, J.M., Graf, R.J., Fox, S.L., Humphreys, D.G., Knox, R.E., DePauw, R.M., Singh, A.K., Cuthbert, R.D., Hucl. P., and Spaner, D. 2013. Application of molecular markers to wheat breeding in Canada. Plant Breeding 132: 458-471. doi:10.111/pbr.12057.

2012

Beres, B.L., Skovmand, B., Randhawa, H.S., Eudes, F., Graf, R.J., and McLeod, J.G. 2012. Sunray spring triticale. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 363-367. doi: 10.4141/CJPS2011-138.
Graf, R.J., Thomas, J.B., Beres, B.L., Gaudet, D.A., Laroche, A., and Eudes, F. 2012. Flourish hard red winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 183-189. doi: 10.4141/CJPS2011-084.
Graf, R.J., Thomas, J.B., Gaudet, D.A., Laroche, A., and Beres, B.L. 2012. Broadview hard red winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92F: 177-181. doi: 10.4141/CJPS2011-083.
Randhawa, H., Puchalski, B.J., Frick, M., Goyal, A., Despins, T., Graf, R.J., Laroche, A., and Gaudet, D.A. 2012. Stripe rust resistance among western Canadian spring wheat and triticale cultivars. Can J. Plant Sci.: 92: 713-722. doi: 10.4141/CJPS2011-252.
Thomas, J.B., Conner, R.L., and Graf, R.J. 2012. Radiant hard red winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 169-175. doi: 10.4141/CJPS2011-082
Thomas, J.B., Gaudet, D.A., and Graf, R.J. 2012. AC Bellatrix hard red winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 163-168. doi: 10.4141/CJPS2011-091.
Thomas, J.B., and Graf, R.J. 2012. AC Readymade and AC Tempest, selections from Redwin hard red winter wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 355-361. doi: 10.4141/CJPS2011-151.

2011

DePauw, R.M., Knox, R.E., Humphreys, D.G., Thomas, J.B., Fox, S.L., Brown, P.D., Singh, A.K., Pozniak, C., Randhawa, H.S., Fowler, D.B., Graf, R.J., and Hucl, P. 2011. New breeding tools impact Canadian commercial farmer fields. Czech. J. Genet. Plant Breed. 47: S28-S34. doi: 10.17221/3250-cjgpb.
Hofer, P., Berg, J.E., Huang, L., Graf, R.J., and Bruckner, P.L. 2011. Registration of ‘Yellowstone’ winter wheat backcross-derived lines incorporating leaf rust and wheat curl mite resistance. J. Plant Reg. 5: 422-425. doi: 10.3198/jpr2011.02.0074crg.
Randhawa, H.S., Sadasivaiah, R.S., Graf, R.J., and Beres, B.L. 2011. Bhishaj soft white spring wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 91: 805-810. doi: 10.4141/CJPS10144.

2010

Beres, B.L., Clayton, G.W., Harker, K.N., Stevenson, F.C., Blackshaw, R.E., and Graf, R.J. 2010. A sustainable management package to improve winter wheat production and competition with weeds. Agron. J. 102: 649-657. doi: 10.2134/agronj2009.0336.
Beres, B.L., Harker, K.N., Clayton, G.W., Bremer, E., Blackshaw, R.E., and Graf, R.J. 2010. Weed-competitive ability of spring and winter cereals in the Northern Great Plains. Weed Technol. 24: 108-116. doi: 10.1614/WT-D-09-00036.1.