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

A Year of Firsts for PGDC. M. Zienkiewicz. Germination Magazine. 1 March 2021.
2021 - View publication details
Winter Wheat Genetic Gains. T. Bacque. The Focal Point. Spring 2021. Pp. 20-22.
2021 - View publication details
M. Frick, G.T. Araujo, K. Fujita, D. Van Essen, C. Harvey, J.D. Laurie, R.J. Graf and A. Laroche. 2021. Remodeling the functionality of the stripe rust resistance gene Yr10 against current virulent fungal isolates. UBC-STEM Appreciation Night, January 21, 2021.
2021 - View publication details
New Winter Wheat Varieties: 2021 Update. Saskatchewan Winter Cereals Development Commission Virtual Annual General Meeting. 11 January 2021.
2021 - View publication details
Wheat Breeding: Intellectual Property & Commercialization Considerations. OIPC Group. 20 October 2020
2020 - View publication details
Regional Variety Trials in Alberta & Winter Wheat Virtual Tour. Battle River Research Group. 29 July 2020.
2020 - View publication details
Aboukhaddour, R., Fetch, T., McCallum, B. D., Harding, M. W., Beres, B. L., & Graf, R. J. (2020). Wheat diseases on the prairies: A canadian story. Plant Pathology, 69(3), 418-432. doi:10.1111/ppa.13147
2020 - View publication details
Bahrani, H., Thoms, K., Båga, M., Larsen, J., Graf, R., Laroche, A., Sammynaiken, R., Chibbar, R.N. (2019). Preferential accumulation of glycosylated cyanidins in winter-hardy rye (Secale cereale L.) genotypes during cold acclimation, 164 203-212. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2019.05.006
2019 - View publication details
Beres, B.L., Brûlé-Babel, A.L., Ye, Z., Graf, R.J., Turkington, T.K., Harding, M.W., Kutcher, H.R., Hooker, D.C. (2018). Exploring Genotype × Environment × Management synergies to manage fusarium head blight in wheat, 40(2), 179-188. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07060661.2018.1445661
2018 - View publication details
Laroche, A., G.T. Araujo, W. Lu, E. Amundsen, N.K. Newlands, R. Aboukhaddour, J. Larsen, H. Rhandawa, R. Graf, D.A. Gaudet, B.L. Selinger, M. Frick. 2018. Aerobiological Surveillance of Wheat Pathogens. Conference Proceedings of Agronomy Update 2018. January 9-10 Red Deer, AB.pp52
2018 - View publication details
Graf, R.J., Beres, B.L., Larsen, R.J., Randhawa, H.S., Gaudet, D.A., Laroche, A., Eudes, F., Foroud, N.A. (2017). AAC goldrush hard red winter wheat, 98(2), 467-474. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/CJPS-2017-0167
2017 - View publication details
Brar, G.S., Graf, R., Knox, R., Campbell, H., Kutcher, H.R. (2017). Reaction of differential wheat and triticale genotypes to natural stripe rust [Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici] infection in Saskatchewan, Canada, 39(2), 138-148. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07060661.2017.1341433
2017 - View publication details
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., Distelfeld, A., Pozniak, C.J. (2017). High density mapping and haplotype analysis of the major stem-solidness locus SSt1 in durum and common wheat, 12(4), http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0175285
2017 - View publication details
Ye, Z., Brûlé-Babel, A.L., Graf, R.J., Mohr, R., Beres, B.L. (2017). The role of genetics, growth habit, and cultural practices in the mitigation of Fusarium head blight, 97(2), 316-328. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2016-0336
2017 - View publication details
Humphreys, D.G. and Graf, R.J. (2016). "Winter Wheat Improvement in Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada.", Invited talk at 2016 Workshop of the Joint AAFC-Yangzhou University Laboratory, Yangzhou, China, March 23-25, 2016. (Presentation)
2016 - View publication details
Humphreys, D.G. and Graf, R.J. (2016). "Winter Wheat Improvement in Canada: An Overview.", Invited Keynote Address: 2016 Annual Meeting of the CIMMYT-International Winter Wheat Improvement Program, Ilgaz, Turkey, January 12-14, 2016. (Presentation)
2016 - View publication details
Ryabova D, Randhawa HS, Kathiria P, Jiang F, Spaner D, Hucl P, Graf R, Eudes F, Foroud NA. Development of new wheat varieties resistant to FHB through microspore in vitro selection technology. National Fusarium Head Blight Forum. St. Louis MO, UNITED STATES, December 4-6, 2016. p.92
2016 - View publication details
Ryabova D, Randhawa HS, Kathiria P, Jiang F, Spaner D, Hucl P, Graf R, Eudes F, Foroud NA. 2016. Microspore in vitro selection technology in developing new wheat varieties resistant to FHB. National Fusarium Head Blight Forum. St. Louis MO, UNITED STATES, December 4-6, 2016.
2016 - View publication details
Laroche, A., Frick, M., Amundsen, E., Aboukhaddour, R., Randhawa, H., Graf, R., Larsen, J., Gaudet, D. 2016. Toward a contig reduction in genomic assembly of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici isolate SWS484 (Feature Presentation). 37th Annual Meeting of the Plant Pathology Society of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Nov 7-9, 2016. O, pp8.
2016 - View publication details
Humphreys G, Zi Y, Graf R, Kalikililo A, Langille L, Dion Y, Fregeau-Reid J (2016) Effect of cultivar and environment on end-use quality of Canadian winter wheat. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, Nov. 6-9, 2016, Phoenix, AZ, USA. P332-907.
2016 - View publication details