Canadian Research To Focus On Increasing Durum Wheat’s Resistance To Fungal Diseases

The Canadian government announced that the Canadian Wheat Alliance (CWA) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) will work together to develop stronger, more resistant durum wheat varieties for farmers in Canada and in developing  countries. Research will focus on improving wheat yield, sustainability and profitability, with special focus on reducing the effects of wheat rust diseases and of Fusarium head blight, a cause of dangerous toxins in grain. The hope is to increase durum wheat's resistance to the global fungal diseases. According to the government, Fusarium head blight has cost Canadian wheat producers more than C$1.5 billion (US$1.38 billion) in lost income over the last two decades.