User: Producteurs de grain du Québec, Producteurs de Semences du Québec
With the increasing effects of climate change, we are seeing more and more pests and diseases in our agricultural fields. With wheat, for example, not only are fungal diseases more common, but conditions are also more favourable to bacterial diseases. Bacterial streak, a disease caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas, attacks the leaves of wheat, reducing the plant’s ability to produce energy, in turn, leading to lower grain yield and seed quality. The disease is a significant problem since there is no way to prevent it. The solution is to improve the genetic resistance in plants. Our project aims to identify the wheat genes responsible for resistance to then introduce them into wheat varieties, without losing the expected adaptability and quality of local varieties. In summary, this approach will use non-GMO methods to increase the resistance of wheat to a problematic disease.