Genetics and Improvement of Fusarium Head Blight Resistance in Canadian Spring Wheat

Dr Dean Spaner, University of Alberta

Start Date: March 1, 2020
End Date: April 30, 2024

AWC funding: $90,000

Summary:

Wheat is the largest crop grown in Western Canada and acreage in Alberta alone equates to more than 1.1 billion annually in farm-gate sales. Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating fungal disease of wheat that causes major yield loss and quality deterioration in grain. FHB epidemics during 1996, 2000 and 2004 caused $200 million CAD losses to the winter wheat industry in Ontario. Genetic resistance is the most effective and environment friendly strategy to control FHB. Although studies have been conducted in Canada on FHB, including identification of FHB resistance genes and QTL mapping for FHB resistance, there is still a need to better understand the genetics of FHB in Canadian wheat and to develop wheat cultivars with improved resistance against this disease. This 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. This will result in the availability of more FHB resistant cultivars for wheat farmers of Canada