My main research interests are genetic diversity, breeding science and plant breeding including biotechnology, genetics and genomics, focusing on major crop plants such as barley (Hordeum vulgare), bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), sorghum (S. bicolor) and oilseed rape (Brassica napus).
Major research topics include i) the genetic basis of biomass and grain yield and future yield trends in crops (e.g. wheat), ii) genetic basis of heterosis, MS systems and hybrid breeding in winter barley, oilseed rape and sorghum, iii) relevance and importance of the structure and function of root systems for resource efficiency and agronomic performance of crop plants; iv) disease resistance and tolerance against environmental (abiotic) stresses such as drought and cold; v) seed development and major seed compounds (starch, lipids, protein, fibre) in oil- and protein crops.
Curriculum vitae
Since 2013 Emeritus Professor of Agronomy and Plant Breeding
1985-2013 Professor of Plant Breeding, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
1992-93, 98-99 Dean, Faculty for Agriculture & Environment Preservation, University of Giessen
1984 Habilitation, Genetics, University of Bayreuth, Germany
1983 Stipend of the Japan. Society for the Promotion of Science, Kyoto Univ., Japan
1979-1985 Lecturer for Plant Genetics, University of Bayreuth, Germany
1978 Doctorate at the Technical University of München, Germany
1971-1984 Senior Scientist, Institute for Resistance Genetics, BBA, Braunschweig, Germany
1968-71 Higher Studies of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bonn, Germany
Skills/Expertise /Research Keywords
Cereals: Wheat (T. aestivum), sorghum (S. bicolor), barley (H. vulgare)
Lipid biosynthesis and improvement of oil content and quality
Disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance
Structure and function of plant root systems
Interspecific hybridization and polyploidy
Cytogenetics and genome analysis
QTL mapping and marker-assisted selection
Quantitative genetics (genomic selection)
Grants (selected)
2011-2014 BMELV/GFP: Verbesserung der Resistenz von Winterraps (Brassicanapus) gegen den durch Klimawandel geförderten Schadpilz Verticilliumlongisporum (Joint project)
2011-2014 BMBF/KBBE: CONVIGOUR - Controlling variation in germination and seed vigour in Oilseed rape for optimal quality yield stability (Joint project)
2009-2012 Bio-Energie 2021: Untersuchungen zur Kühletolerenz und Wassernutzungseffizienz bei Sorghum unter Einbeziehung der genetischen Diversität und züchterische Optimierung der Merkmale (Joint project)
2008-2010 BMELV/GFP: Entwicklung von molekularen Markern für die Züchtung von Hoch-Ölsäure-Winterraps mit Resistenz gegen Verticillium longisporum als Beitrag zur nachhaltigen Rapsölproduktion (Joint project)
2007-2010 DFG: Shifts in plant expression and corresponding phloem sap components during trilateral interaction of barley (Hordeum vulgare), aphid species (Rhopalosiphum padi) and the aphid-transmitted Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV)
Awards and scholarships
2015 Eminent Scientist Award,International Consultative Group for Research on Rapeseed (GCIRC), Saskatoon, Canada
2010 Innovation Award „Prof. Röbbelen“, Karl Eigen & Dr. h.c. Dietrich Brauer-Foundation, Berlin
2007 Normann-Medal, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Fettwissenschaft (DGF), Göteborg, Sweden
1983 Stipend of the Japan. Society for the Promotion of Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Japan
Selected Publications
Gottwald S, Samans B, Lück S, Friedt W(2012) Jasmonate and ethylene dependent defence gene expression and suppression of fungal virulence factors: Two essential mechanisms of Fusarium head blight resistance in wheat? BMC Genomics 13:369 (DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-13-369).
Obermeier C, Hossain MA, Snowdon R, Knüfer J, von Tiedemann A, Friedt W (2013) Genetic analysis of phenylpropanoid metabolites associated with resistance against Verticillium longisporum in Brassica napus. Molecular Breeding 31:347–361 (DOI 10.1007/s11032-012-9794-8)
Shiringani A, Friedt W(2011) QTL for fibre-related traits in grain x sweet sorghum as a tool for the enhancement of sorghum as a biomass crop. Theor Appl Genet 123: 999-1011 (DOI 10.1007/s00122-011-1642-4)
Windpassinger S, Friedt W, Frauen M, Snowdon R, Wittkop B (2015) Designing adapted sorghum silage types with an enhanced energy density for biogas generation in temperate Europe" Biomass and Bioenergy (accepted)
Fu Y, Wei D, Dong H, He Y, Cui Y, Mei J, Wan H, Li J, Snowdon R, Friedt W, Li X, Qian W (2015) Comparative quantitative trait loci for silique length and seed weight in Brassica napus. Scientific Reports (accepted)
Links
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.de/scholar?q=W+Friedt&btnG=&hl=de&as_sdt=0%2C5
Contact information
Dr. Wolfgang Friedt, Prof. em.
Plant Breeding Department
IFZ Research Centre for Biosystems, Land Use and Nutrition
