Fusarium head blight (FHB) has become a substantial management concern for wheat growers in Saskatchewan, affecting both yield and quality of the crop. An integrated approach to FHB management is recommended, including the use of resistant varieties, a timely fungicide application, and crop rotation, along with other cultural practices.
Read MoreProtection from fungal plant pathogens is key for optimizing the yield and quality of wheat. However, current grower practices and historical research do not always align with respect to optimum fungicide timing to maximize disease control, yield, quality and profitability of Canadian Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat.
Read MoreFusarium head blight (FHB) is the number one priority disease of wheat in Canada. It threatens all wheat growing areas by reducing crop yield, compromising end-use quality, and affecting food and feed safety through accumulation of mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON) in the grain. In order to continue to make progress in breeding for FHB resistance and build on the momentum that has been generated, it is critical to provide increased capacity for FHB phenotyping.
Read MoreDeoxynivalenol (DON) is the major secondary metabolite produced by Fusarium graminearum. F. graminearum can infect cereals such as: wheat, durum, barley, rye and corn. This toxin can make the grain unmarketable for producers. This study examined methods to recover high quality (low DON) wheat and barley from infected seed lots.
Read MorePlant diseases are responsible for at least 10% of yield losses in global food production. Incidence and severity of two important cereal crop diseases, Fusarium head blight (FHB) and tan spot are increasing with the impacts of climate change. FHB is responsible for mycotoxin contamination of grains and both diseases lead to significant yield damage. It was recently determined that barley, which was thought to be inherently resistant to tan spot, is susceptible to a race of the pathogen that has been identified in Canada.
Read MoreTan spot is one of the most destructive foliar wheat diseases in Canada. The causing pathogen is Pyrenophora tritici-repentis(Ptr),a fungus known to produce combinations of three effectors (toxins), namely ToxA, ToxB and ToxC. In Canada, ToxA is known as the most prevalent toxin and the only necrosis-inducing factor.
In this project, the
Read MoreFusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most important diseases of wheat in Canada. Even a small per hectare yield loss due to FHB results in the loss of tens of thousands of dollars per grower and millions of dollars collectively. Multiple control strategies are required to control the disease because each strategy has a moderate impact. The most important of these are: selection of wheat varieties with genetic resistance; cultural practices, such as crop rotation with non-host crops, possibly supplemented with tillage and other residue management tools; and the last line of defense, fungicide application during the flowering stage of the crop.
Read MoreOrange wheat blossom midge (Sitodiplosis mosellana Géhin) is one of the most damaging pests of wheat in western Canada. This project was undertaken to identify additional wheat genes that can prevent wheat midge damage. Currently, there is a heavy reliance on the wheat midge resistance gene Sm1 in western Canadian wheat varieties, which leaves the crop vulnerable if or when the wheat midge population adapts to or overcomes the Sm1 resistance gene.
Read MoreThe purpose of the project was to collect rust infected leaves from field plots and perform sequencing directly from the samples and identify genetic groups (termed as lineages) the samples belong to. The method is quick as compared to classical methods (such as race characterization or genotyping with molecular markers) for pathogen population characterization.
Read MoreFusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium spp., is a destructive disease of small grain cereals, such as wheat, barley, oat and canaryseed. Apart from grain yield losses and reduced baking and seed quality, a major concern with FHB is crop contamination with Fusarium-produced trichothecene mycotoxins, specifically deoxynivalenol (DON), also known as vomitoxin. These mycotoxins accumulate in the grain making it unfit for consumption by humans and animals. Significant DON contamination may render a crop unmarketable, or reduce the market value by 40-65%.
Read MoreExcept for outbreak year with very high level of infection, aster yellows incidence in wheat will likely remain low in Western Canadian agriculture. We have also learned that if we need to diagnose aster yellows infection in wheat we now have reliable molecular tools.
Read MoreRust diseases, including leaf, stripe and stem rusts, are the most widely occurring diseases of wheat worldwide. Pyramiding multiple resistant genes has been proposed as the most effective way to control these diseases in wheat. However, to practise this approach, one must know the most effective gene combinations from the pool of more than 200 genes that bring resistance to the three rust diseases. Deployment the most effective gene pyramids will ensure the maintenance of durable rust resistance within Canadian wheat cultivars, thus avoid production losses from rust epidemics.
Read MoreFusarium head blight (FHB) is a serious disease of wheat across western Canada, causing substantial yield and quality losses. As well as reduced yields, the disease can also result in downgrading or complete crop loss due to high toxin content in the grain. FHB creates a management challenge because highly resistant wheat varieties are not available and fungicides do not provide complete FHB control. Therefore, a priority of pathology and breeding programs in Canada and in the US is to find new sources of resistance. This can be achieved by screening existing collections of germplasm or creating new, exotic, sources of resistance by novel means.
Read MoreOver the past decade, Fusarium head blight (FHB) has become one of the primary issues facing wheat producers in Western Canada. Resistance to the disease in bread wheat has improved but is still not strong enough to withstand major outbreaks, while resistance in durum wheat remains limited at this time. Triazole fungicides are typically applied to wheat crops to protect against infection; however, these treatments can be ineffective and Fusarium resistance to this fungicide has been reported. The application of dsRNA to control various plant pests and pathogens is an emerging field that could provide RNA-mediated control without the need for transgenic plants. This approach was first demonstrated for the control of plant viruses and is also viable for the control of insect feeding.
Read MoreMycotoxins are naturally occurring toxins produced by mold that can sometimes be found in crops or food. Mycotoxins can develop pre-harvest, during harvest, or while in storage, and can be difficult and expensive to detect. Maria DeRosa, a professor at Carleton University, led a research project to develop a rapid, low-cost test for mycotoxins that could be used at the farm or grain elevator with minimal training or resources.
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