User: Ron DePauw (SeCan), Salah Zoghlami (Producteurs de grains du Québec) and Camila Turra (OR Genética)
In 2023, spring wheat production in Québec experienced a 25% reduction compared to previous years due to harsh climate conditions and severe disease outbreaks, such as Fusarium Head Blight (FHB). The Brazilian cultivar Toropi, registered in 1965, exhibits strong resistance to leaf rust, yellow rust, stem rust, powdery mildew, blast, and FHB. Several genomic regions associated with resistance to wheat rusts and FHB were identified, with some regions providing resistance to multiple diseases. Despite its potential, Toropi resistance genes have not been utilized in Canada. By incorporating Toropi genes, either alone or in combination with other resistance genes, wheat resistance could be substantially increased, potentially reaching near-immunity levels. This project aims to clone the genes responsible for resistance in Toropi using various approaches. Additionally, the resistance to powdery mildew and blast will be investigated to identify the corresponding genomic regions. Molecular markers linked to these resistances will be developed and utilized to breed new wheat varieties with multiple disease resistance, tailored to the Québec environment.