Research Faculty and Support Scientists
Bahman Ehdaie
Phone: (951) 827-4198
Office: 2125 Batchelor Hall
Email: bahman.ehdaie@ucr.edu
Areas of Expertise:
Plant breeding, quantitative genetics, drought tolerance in wheat, inheritance of root biomass, water-use efficiency, contribution of stem reserves to grain, nitrogen-use efficiency, screening wheat-rye translocations for root traits.
Breeding wheat cultivars resistant to drought requires an understanding of plant responses to drought, and the genes and mechanisms that confer resistance to this abiotic stress. We are investigating the relationships between genetic variation in morpho-physiological traits and adaptation of wheat germplasm to drought conditions in the field and in the pot experiments in the glasshouse. We demonstrated significant genetic variation for plant water-use efficiency, root biomass, and preanthesis stem reserves that can be used to improve drought tolerance in wheat. Evaluation of wheat-rye translocations involving short arm of chromosome 1 of rye (1RS), indicated 22% increase in root biomass that might be responsible for 15% increase in grain yield in translocation lines. We are using 1BS-1RS recombinant lines developed in ‘Pavon’ wheat to locate genes on 1RS, which are involved in the expression of root biomass.
Selected Publications:
Ehdaie, B., D. Barnhart, and J.G. Waines. 2001. Inheritance of root and shoot biomass in a bread wheat cross. J. Gent. Breed. 55: 1-10.
Ehdaie, B., and G.J. Waines. 2001. Sowing date and nitrogen rate effects on dry matter and nitrogen partitioning in bread and durum wheat. Field Crop Res. 73: 47-61.
Aryavand, A., B. Ehdaie, B. Tram, and J.G. Waines. 2003. Stomatal frequency and size differentiate ploidy levels in Aegilops neglecta. Gene. Resour. Crop Evol. 50: 175-182.
Ehdaie, B., R.W. Whitkus, and J.G. Waines. 2003. Root biomass, water-use efficiency, and performance of wheat-rye translocations ofchromosomes 1 and 2 in spring bread wheat ‘Pavon’. Crop Sci. 43: 710-717.
Cahill, J.P. and B. Ehdaie. Variation and heritability of seed mass in chia (Salvia hispanica L.).Genet. Resour. and Crop Evolution (Accepted July 15, 2003; 7 journal pages; anticipated date of publication, Fall 2004.)
Ehdaie, B., M.A. Madore, E.R. Miranda, and J.G. Waines. Postanthesis assimilate translocation in spring bread wheat genotypes using 14C technique. J. Gent. And Breed. (Accepted Sep. 2004, with minor revision; 27 manuscript pages, anticipated date of publication, Winter 2004).