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Bridging Theory and Practice: Disease Trials in Wheat Breeding – How to find the most resistant variety?

Beschreibung

This project is a unique opportunity to participate in a collaboration between the University of Hohenheim and the seed company Limagrain. The project focuses specifically on disease trials in wheat, offering a group of 3 to 4 students the chance to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world problems.

You will receive some theoretical input about wheat breeding and disease trials from Limagrain breeders. In a two-days excursion to a Limagrain breeding station near Hannover you will score a disease field trial yourself using two different methods. The students from a preliminary Humboldt reloaded project from the winter term will collaborate with you and be responsible for the analysis of your collected data. If you are interested in statistics, you are welcome to assist them in the analysis.

At the end of the project, you will compile your findings into a report that will give recommendations for scoring methods and data handling in disease trials. You can present your work at the Humboldt reloaded conference.

Projektbetreuung: Melina Köber, Nathanael Rapp & Karen Wolf (contact: karen.wolf@uni-hohenheim.de)

Projektzeitraum
Sommersemester 2025
Bewerbungszeitraum
01. bis 13.04.2025
Durchführung
semesterbegleitend
Details zu Projektzeitraum und Durchführung
  1. Theoretical Introduction:
    • A French wheat breeder will provide an online introduction to the basics of plant breeding and disease trials in wheat.
    • You will receive some literature to make yourself more familiar with the subject.
  2. Data Collection at Limagrain Breeding Station (June):
    You will spend two days at Limagrain's breeding station near Hannover with accommodation provided. During this field trip, you will:
    • Tour the breeding station to gain insights into practical breeding operations.
    • Receive hands-on training from a German wheat breeder on how to score disease field trials.
    • Conduct your own scoring of a disease trial using two different methods.

The trip is planned for the second half of June (preferably the week 16.06. – 20.06.). The exact dates for the two-day trip will depend on disease development and weather conditions and will probably be announced ~ one week in advance to the trip. So please make sure that you are flexible in this time period.

  1. Collaboration with Data Analysts:
    After collecting your own data, you will collaborate with students from a preliminary Humboldt reloaded project. The students will introduce you into their work. Based on your strengths and preferences, you are free to go deeper into the following subjects:
    • Understanding the differences between ordinal and metric data.
    • Introduction to the statistical software R to support your analysis.
    • Exploration of various methods of analysis and learning how the choice of analysis can impact the results.
    • Drawing conclusions and making recommendations for plant breeders regarding the optimal methods for data collection and analysis in disease trials.

In case you want to go into any of these subjects, you would be supported by the collaborating students as well as by a biostatistician from the university of Hohenheim.

  1. Final Report and Presentation:
    At the end of the project, you will compile your findings into a report. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to present your work at the Humboldt Reloaded Conference (beginning of the next winter term) in the form of a poster. To help prepare, you are encouraged to attend the Schreibwerkstatt (Writing Workshop) organized by Humboldt Reloaded.
Studienfach
Agrarbiologie
Agrarwissenschaften
Biologie
Betreuende
Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Piepho
Institut
Institut für Kulturpflanzenwissenschaften (340) (Biostatitsik (340c))
Sprache
deutsch/englisch
Teilnehmendenanzahl
min. 1, max. 4
Arbeitsaufwand
ca. 30 Stunden pro Teilnehmende:r | 1 ECTS-Punkte

Arbeitsaufwand (Stunden und ggf. ECTS) sind ungefähre Angaben. Die tatsächlich vergebenen ECTS-Punkte ergeben sich aus der tatsächlich geleisteten Arbeit.

 
Für dieses Projekt ist kein Motivationsschreiben des Studierenden erforderlich
Projektart
empirisch
Lernziele

Die Teilnehmende lernen in diesem Projekt:

  • Theoretical background about wheat breeding and disease trials
  • Practical disease scoring in wheat
  • Basics of statistical analyses
  • Preparation for scientific work in your future Bachelor thesis
  • Personal connections with professionals in both academic and the private sector, such as the Biostatistics Institute at Hohenheim and Limagrain in Germany and France.
  • Project collaboration, teamwork
  • Scientific writing (acquisition of scientific vocabulary in English)
Anmerkungen für Studierende

Zwischen 30 h | 1 ECTS und 180 h | 6 ECTS
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Prerequisites:

  • Proficiency in English

Leistungsumfang:

  • Individuell anpassbar

Important Dates:

  • Introduction to the project, introduction to disease trials into wheat & introduction to the statistical analysis: can be adapted to the student’s timetable
  • Data collection: probably second half of June 2025
  • Collaboration with project from winter term for the analysis, intensive period: June 2025
  • Humboldt Reloaded conference: October 2025

If students are interested in diving deeper into the statistical analysis of their collected data, they are encouraged to take an introductory training in R from the Biostatistics institute (In ILIAS: Fakultät Agrarwissenschaften >Institut für Kulturpflanzenwissenschaften (340) >Biostatistics (340c) >Aktuelle Kurse des Winter- und Sommersemesters >Statistical analysis with R – Introductory Course (Winter and Summer Semester))

Schlagworte
Plant breeding, wheat, disease scoring, seed company excursion, project collaboration