Why is this research important for Alberta ag?
Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease of wheat affecting most growing areas in Canada. High proportions of FHB damaged seeds, known as fusarium damaged kernels (FDK) and toxin deoxynivalenol (DON) produced by its pathogen in wheat harvest results in severe yield and quality losses. Recently, concerns have risen over the rapid spread of FHB in Alberta. FHB driven grade reductions have caused significant economic losses in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2016 in Alberta.
Growing FHB resistant cultivars is the best strategy to alleviate the production risk associated with the disease. However, most of the widely grown spring wheat cvs in western Canada have intermediate to moderate levels of resistance to FHB. Numerous native and exotic FHB resistant lines such as AAC Tenacious, FL62R1 and Sumai 3 have been extensively characterized and a number of major QTLs have been identified. These resources can be used as donor for pyramiding FHB resistance genes into modern wheat cvs using a systemic approach such as MAS.
This research intends to use tightly linked markers of major QTLs in MAS which can be applied to early generations in breeding populations to speed up the selection for FHB resistance and cultivar development process.
What benefits can producers expect from this research?
Newer cultivars with enhanced FHB resistance will offer the best strategy to mitigate the threat of FHB by protecting grain yield and quality. This will make wheat production more competitive, ensure long-term sustainability, and increase farm income.
How will these research findings reach producers on-farm?
Results will be shared with producers and agriculture industry personnel through new cultivar releases, newsletters, factsheets, seminars, field tours, and demonstration plots.