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Wheat Research |
Incorporating fusarium resistance
with high yield in winter wheat
Dr. Radhey Pandeya
Fusarium Head Blight, (FHB), winter-kill and
pre-harvest sprouting remain as three major production constraints factors affecting
sustainable wheat production in Ontario and other eastern Canadian provinces.
Ontario producers have a good number of wheat cultivars available, but current
cultivars offer variable levels of tolerance to FHB, with many being highly
susceptible.
FHB, a global problem, has been adversely affecting crop productivity and product
quality/safety in North America since the early 1980s. Wheat and barley crops
have been sustaining severe loss to productivity, quality and safety in the
US and Canada. Ontario alone lost between $100 and $200 million during the 1996
epidemic. In addition to reducing yield, FHB leaves mycotoxin (DON) residues
on grains and impairs grain quality. This results in severe financial issues
for farmers, as fusarium infected wheat is often not suitable for milling and
must be channelled to lower value feed markets.
The objectives of this project are:
| 1. | To reduce fungal mycotoxin on grain and grain products by developing good quality, high yielding winter wheat varieties with resistance/tolerance to FHB. |
| 2. | To monitor FHB symptoms and toxin in Ontario winter wheat cultivars by evaluating Fusarium tolerance and grain toxins in the Fusarium inoculation nursery of all performance test entries, including cooperators’ entries for registration. |
| 3. | To broaden the genetic base of Fusarium resistance by combining Brazilian, Chinese and European sources of resistance into a common genetic background. |