Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a fungal disease affecting cereal crops in Canada that reduces productivity and produces mycotoxins in the grain. This fungal disease is caused by a number of Fusarium species. In Canada, Fusarium graminearum is considered as the most important Fusarium species because of its abundance, its toxin producing ability and its impact on grain quality and yield.
Read MoreThis research will renew the FHB screening provided by the WGRF core agreement and add back capacity that was in Growing Forward 2. It will also sustain the additional resources for durum wheat which was supported through the bridge funding provided by the AWC, SWDC, and MCA. By providing phenotypic FHB data to breeders and geneticists, this project will support the continued efforts toward incorporating and combining better sources of genetic resistance into Canadian wheat cultivars. This will benefit the entire wheat value chain and ensure that Canadian wheat continues to be competitive on world markets.
Read MoreThis project builds on the ongoing project co-funded by Sask Wheat on Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) resistance to fungicide, in which a Nested Association Mapping population for F. graminearum (FgNAM) was developed by crossing between eight isolates of Fusarium mostly from Saskatchewan and Manitoba and, a high-quality genome assembly have been generated. This population segregates for multiple traits including aggressiveness (quantitative variation of pathogenicity), deoxynivalenol (DON) chemotype (15ADON vs. 3ADON) and concentration and sensitivity to triazole fungicides.
Read MoreThis project will deliver information on improving the fungicide timing and possibly widen the window of application for wheat growers and to make important decision on fungicide application in an integrated FHB management strategy. This study builds on the recently completed project on fungicide timing in durum wheat, funded by Sask Wheat.
Read MoreFusarium head blight (FHB) and stripe rust are two of the five priority diseases of wheat in Canada. This project focuses on genetic mapping of novel major-effect resistance genes to FHB and stripe rust. This research builds on Dr. Brar’s previous work on screening and identifying the resistant lines from 321 Watkins landraces for FHB and stripe rust resistance.
Read MoreThis project focuses on developing innovative nondestructive methodologies to assess the grain kernel images and changes in the nutrient components in cultivars with varying level of Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) resistance, using synchrotron based XRF microscopy and spectrometry. This project builds on the previous findings by the research team on the application of Synchrotron Light for crop improvement and rapid screening tools for FHB.
Read MoreThis project will evaluate the efficacy of promising RNA-based fungicides for Fusarium head blight (FHB). Currently, there are no effective sources of resistance protecting wheat against FHB and there is heavy reliance on the use of chemical sprays to control the disease. The development of dsRNA-based fungicidal strategies targeted to prevent pathogen growth and development can limit disease outbreaks and offers an additional method for producers in the integrated pest management strategies.
Read MoreOur objectives are to assist breeding programs in the development of Fusarium head blight-resistant wheat and barley for producers in western Canada. We are using an in vitro selection (IVS) method that employs high selection pressure for the development of doubled haploid bread wheat and barley lines with high levels of disease resistance. In this project, we will continue to generate FHB-resistant germplasm, but will also: (a) adapt the technology to target durum wheat, and (b) use IVS to develop a mutagenized, or “TILLING” population which can be used in breeding programs while also providing a genetic resource for marker development and to identify novel resistance and susceptibility genes.
Read MoreIn this project, we are proposing to develop state-of-the-art genomic prediction models for selecting winter hardiness and FHB resistance in winter durum. Over the past five years, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre (LRDC) has acquired diverse sources of germplasm and started a germplasm enhancement program with the goal of releasing winter durum cultivars to farmers in Alberta and Western Canada. Similarly, FHB resistance is a priority trait of all Canadian wheat breeding programs. This project aims to genotype the germplasm for genome-wide markers and phenotype the same lines at multi-locations.
Read MoreThis project aims to deliver best management practices for an ultra-early seeded durum wheat so that the ultra-early seeding system strategy allows to expand the seeding window for all crops for producers. This 4-year project will attempt to design a seeding system tailored to CWAD by analysing the germplasm within CWAD that would display variation around adaptation to the cold soils and abiotic stresses that occur when planting at or near 0ºC.
Read MoreThis project will evaluate the efficacy of promising RNA-based fungicides for Fusarium head blight (FHB). This project will generate data to determine the efficacy of controlling FHB incidence using spray induced gene silencing and optimize its application in the field. This technology provides a non-transgenic resistance strategy with minimal environmental impacts for fusarium control by inhibiting the growth of pathogen.
Read MoreThis project builds on the ongoing project co-funded by Sask Wheat on Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) resistance to fungicide, in which a Nested Association Mapping population for F. graminearum (FgNAM) was developed by crossing between eight isolates of Fusarium mostly from Saskatchewan and Manitoba and, a high-quality genome assembly have been generated. This population segregates for multiple traits including aggressiveness (quantitative variation of pathogenicity), deoxynivalenol (DON) chemotype (15ADON vs. 3ADON) and concentration and sensitivity to triazole fungicides.
Read MoreThe main goal of this comprehensive project is to address the disease resistance breeding in wheat by expanding on the novel genetic and genomic resources that has been established by the research team in CTAG and 4D Wheat projects, co funded by Sask Wheat.
Read MoreThe goals of this project are: 1) to optimize and scale up of test kits for Ochratoxin A that has been developed in the previous study; 2) to develop a simple, inexpensive, strip-based test for other mycotoxins like Fumonisin B1, Aflatoxin B1, and Deoxynivalenol (DON) alone and in combination and 3) to undertake a preliminary validation for their use outside the lab. This research will attempt to test these strips outside of the lab environment (farm, grain elevator) in a larger trial.
Read MoreThis project will deliver information on improving the fungicide timing and possibly widen the window of application for wheat growers and to make important decision on fungicide application in an integrated FHB management strategy. This study builds on the recently completed project on fungicide timing in durum wheat, funded by Sask Wheat.
Read MoreFusarium head blight (FHB) and stripe rust are two of the five priority diseases of wheat in Canada. This project focuses on genetic mapping of novel major-effect resistance genes to FHB and stripe rust. This research builds on Dr. Brar’s previous work on screening and identifying the resistant lines from 321 Watkins landraces for FHB and stripe rust resistance. In this study 2 resistant lines will be used to genetically map the genes conferring resistance to the two diseases.
Read MoreThis project focuses on developing innovative nondestructive methodologies to assess the grain kernel images and changes in the nutrient components in cultivars with varying level of Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) resistance, using synchrotron based XRF microscopy and spectrometry. This project builds on the previous findings by the research team on the application of Synchrotron Light for crop improvement and rapid screening tools for FHB.
Read MoreThis project will help better understand the genetics of FHB resistance and generate resistant germplasm in Canadian wheat background to facilitate development of FHB resistant cultivars.
Read MoreThe results from this pilot project will complement previously funded projects on stripe rust race/lineage characterization using the traditional approach. This will help to study host-specificity of the pathogen on the wheat cultivars grown in Canada.
Read MoreDevelopment of FHB resistant cultivars will protect the wheat industry from losses to this disease, ensure continued competitiveness of Canadian wheat in international markets, and ensure that Canadian wheat is a healthy and safe product for use as food and feed worldwide.
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