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CapitalPress.com
January 1, 2016
People & Places
‘Cyber breeder’ improves wheat varieties
Zhiwu Zhang sorts
through field,
molecular data to
help breeding
Western
Innovator
By MATTHEW WEAVER
Capital Press
PULLMAN, Wash. —
Zhiwu Zhang rarely actually
touches wheat, but his work
helps put better varieties of
the popular grain into grow-
ers’ hands.
As a statistical geneticist
— he calls himself a “cyber
breeder” — at Washington
State University in Pullman,
Wash., Zhang combines in-
formation from “field” wheat
breeders and researchers who
identify molecular markers.
Wheat farmers are most
concerned with yield, end-
use quality and production
cost, all traits determined by
how genetics and the envi-
ronment interact, Zhang said.
“There are hundreds and
even thousands of genes as-
sociated with yield,” he said.
“Gathering favorite genes to-
gether takes time. Fortunate-
ly, DNA sequencing technol-
ogies provide the opportunity
to pinpoint where those genes
are on the genome.”
Deoxyribonucleic acid —
called DNA — is a molecule
that carries the genetic in-
structions within most living
organisms. Attributes such as
drought tolerance are located
at specific spots on the lat-
tice-like structure of DNA.
“We’re trying to get them
together, turn this big data
into some knowledge,” he
said. “Then field breeders can
turn it into a variety that can
really increase the income of
Zhiwu Zhang
Title: Assistant professor,
Washington State Univer-
sity; Washington Wheat
Distinguished Professorship
for Statistical Genetics
Age: 55
Current location: Pullman,
Wash.
Hometown: Shulan, China
Matthew Weaver/Capital Press
Washington State University assistant professor Zhiwu Zhang stands in the middle of his lab Oct. 16 in
Pullman, Wash. As statistical geneticist, Zhang compiles information from field breeders and molecular
DNA sequencing to enable wheat breeders to improve the varieties they develop for farmers.
the farmer.”
Zhang is developing the
computer programs and da-
tabases necessary for wheat
breeders to sort through mil-
lions of data points associated
with genetic markers and gene
sequences, said Rich Koenig,
associate dean of the College
of Agricultural, Human and
Natural Resource Sciences, di-
rector of WSU Extension and
interim chairman of the crop
and soil sciences department.
“The explosion of data has
created a need for ‘genetic
software engineers’ to enable
breeders to sort through all
of these data and make good
breeding and selection deci-
sions,” Koenig said.
Zhang’s work should help
breeders better select lines
that have the potential to
outperform other cultivars in
the field, WSU winter wheat
breeder Arron Carter said.
“Effectively, we are test-
ing better material under field
conditions, which should have
higher yield potential, better
disease resistance and better
end-use quality,” Carter said.
“It will speed up the process
a little bit, but mainly helps us
get the best material out to the
field as a starting point.”
Breeders will still have
to do years of field testing to
ensure stability across loca-
tions and years, Carter said.
Zhang’s work helps identify
the best wheat lines early in
the process, allowing breed-
ers to begin making crosses
sooner.
Zhang has an agricultural
background. He raised ani-
mals and worked in the field
from childhood in China, and
got his bachelor’s degree in
animal science. He went on to
study genetics, statistics and
computer science in getting
his master’s and Ph.D. de-
grees and postdoctoral train-
ing.
His first job was predicting
breeding values, helping beef
breeders select bulls for better
yield, carcass quality and less
calving difficulty.
Zhang’s second job was
to develop statistical meth-
ods and computing tools to
dissect the genetic architec-
ture of key complex traits in
maize. Zhang developed a
compressed model that re-
duced computing time from
weeks to hours.
Jobs such as Zhang’s did
not exist a decade ago, Koe-
nig said. Now, they are in
high demand among modern
breeding programs.
“Zhiwu has an interna-
tional reputation and is rec-
ognized for developing lead-
ing platforms to process and
screen genetic information,”
Education: Bachelor’s de-
gree in animal science and
master’s degree in animal
breeding and genetics,
Jilin Agriculture University,
Changchun, China; Ph.D. in
animal breeding and genet-
ics, Northeast Agricultural
University, Harbin, China;
Ph.D. in statistical genetics,
Michigan State University
Family: Married; son James,
26; daughter Joia, 14
Website: http://css.wsu.edu/
zhiwu-zhang/
Koenig said.
Zhang hopes his work will
increase farmers’ net income,
be environmentally friendly
and sustainable.
Sequencing wheat vari-
eties is currently limited by
cost. The wheat genome is
five times bigger than the
human genome, with many
gaps, Zhang said.
“Mathematically and ac-
curately filling those gaps is
critical to transform DNA se-
quencing into a useful tool for
wheat breeding,” he said.
‘Owlcapone’ returns? Time to call Elliot Nest
SALEM,
Ore.
(AP)
— Maybe it’s time to call
crime-buster Elliot Nest to
take down that pesky bird of
prey “Owlcapone.”
A few blocks away from
the state Capitol in Salem, the
year is ending the way it be-
gan — with an aggressive owl
going after people.
At least two attacks have
been reported more than a
mile north of a park where
joggers were attacked in Janu-
ary, said Julie Curtis, spokes-
woman for the Department of
State Lands.
Dwight French said he was
jogging from his office to a
parking garage Monday when
he felt a bump on the back of
his head. He turned around
AP Photo/Statesman-Journal, Danielle Peterson
John Kleeman, Parks Operations Supervisor for Salem, Ore., installs
signs at Bush’s Pasture Park last February, warning visitors of owl
attacks. An owl has again begun to attack joggers north of the park.
and saw an owl fly into the
trees and stare at him. As he
crossed a street, the owl hit
him again and then a third
time.
“At the moment it was
just really bizarre and kind of
scary for a minute,” he told
the Statesman Journal.
French sustained several
little cuts. He said it looks like
he “got a really violent hair-
cut.”
The January attacks on
several joggers got national
attention, most of it humor-
ous.
Inspired by a segment
from MSNBC host Rachel
Maddow, Oregon’s capital
city posted “angry owl” warn-
ing signs in the park where the
owl was likely defending its
nest against perceived threats.
The Statesman Journal had an
online naming contest, with
“Owlcapone” getting the most
votes. And, of course, there’s
Fungus kills trees critical to Hawaii’s native forests
By AUDREY MCAVOY
Associated Press
HONOLULU — A newly dis-
covered fungus is killing a tree
that’s critical to Hawaii’s water
supply, endangered native birds and
Hawaiian cultural traditions like
hula.
The disease called rapid ohia
death has hit hundreds of thousands
of ohia lehua trees on the Big Is-
land. As of last year, it was found
to have affected 50 percent of the
ohia trees across 6,000 acres of for-
est, but it’s believed to have spread
further since then. To date, it’s been
found primarily in Puna but also in
Kona and Kau. It hasn’t been seen
anywhere else in the world.
Robert Hauff, the forest health
coordinator at the state Department
of Land and Natural Resources,
said the state is planning aerial sur-
veys next month to learn how many
acres are affected by the fungus. A
world expert in similar diseases is
also expected to visit the islands to
advise the state on how to control
the outbreak.
“Worst case scenario is that it
spreads statewide and it decimates
all of our ohia forests. It’s a pretty
bleak picture,” Hauff told reporters
at a news conference in Honolulu.
Ohia is important to the water
supply because it’s so effective at
soaking water into the ground and
replenishing the watershed. It’s crit-
ical for native birds because the an-
imals feed on its nectar. It provides
a canopy to native plants growing
underneath it in the forests.
The state Department of Agri-
culture has created rules prohibiting
moving wood, flowers and other
parts of the ohia tree between is-
lands.
Christy Martin, a spokeswoman
for the Hawaii Coordinating Group
on Alien Pest Species, said the fun-
gus is “sneaky” because it can in-
fect a tree for months before show-
ing any symptoms.
“So somebody could think
they’re walking through a healthy
forest, picking up wood and doing
whatever they’re doing collecting
for lei and not know they’re dealing
with an infected tree,” Martin said
after the news conference.
Sam Ohu Gon III, senior scien-
tist and cultural adviser at the Na-
ture Conservancy of Hawaii, said
ohia wood was used for weapons,
hula instruments, homes and tem-
ples in ancient Hawaii. Many Ha-
waiian proverbs and sayings refer-
ence the tree.
an Owl Attacks Facebook
page.
David Craig, a biology
professor and animal behavior
specialist at Willamette Uni-
versity, said there’s no way
of knowing if the owl that
attacked French is the noto-
rious Owlcapone establishing
a new home or if it’s another
barred owl.
He said this is the time of
year when owls are courting
and establishing their territo-
ry, which makes them aggres-
sive. They lay eggs as early as
February.
If an owl scratches you
and it breaks the skin, Craig
recommends monitoring the
wound like you would a cat
scratch.
Man leaves chickens in
lobby of Oregon tax office
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Police say an Or-
egon man angry with his tax situation left a
flock of seven chickens inside the state revenue
office.
Police in Eugene said in a news release they
responded to a report Wednesday afternoon of
chickens left in the lobby of the Oregon Depart-
ment of Revenue.
Police and an animal welfare officer rounded
up the fowl, and they were taken to an animal
shelter.
Officers gave 66-year-old Louis Adler, of
Creswell, a trespass notice requiring him to stay
away from the office or risk a citation.
The Register-Guard reports no people or ani-
mals were injured.
Adler couldn’t immediately be reached for
comment.
State agency spokesman Derrick Gasperini
told the Guard the staff had prior dealings with
Adler and he was “frustrated by the outcome.”
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