Why is this research important for Alberta ag?
Wheat is one of the most economically important crops of Canada, however, its production is challenged by a number of factors including lodging, which refers to falling over of the crop often due to high wind and rain. Lodging in wheat usually occurs after ear emergence and leads to substantial losses in grain yield and quality, higher drying costs and slower harvest; all of which cause significant economic loss to wheat producers.
Although the incidence of lodging has been reduced by the introduction of semi-dwarf cultivars, it is still a problem in commercial wheat production since the high nitrogen fertilization required for attaining high yield results in long and week internodes with little resistance to bending. Chemical growth regulators can be used to control crop height and mitigate the problem of lodging, however, this approach is not sustainable due to its considerable additional cost to the producers and the associated environmental and food safety concerns.
This highlights the need for developing molecular tools for enhancing the breeding of wheat cultivars with optimized crop height and stem strength to withstand lodging. This research will there identify wheat genes/alleles that can be deployed as molecular tools to facilitate the incorporation of lodging resistance into elite commercial wheat cultivars.
What benefits can producers expect from this research?
Improving the resistance of wheat crop to lodging will enable Canadian wheat producers to maintain a sustainable supply of high yield and high quality wheat for the domestic wheat industry and international export markets. Therefore, this research has the potential to maximize economic returns for Canadian wheat producers.
How will these research findings reach producers on-farm?
Knowledge from this project will be shared with wheat breeders and researchers through presentations at local, regional, national, and international meetings and through publications in the form of thesis and research articles in international journals.
Results will also be shared through wheat field tours, articles in local, regional, and national magazines, industrial reports, newsletters, and social media.