Researchers from Shandon Agricultural University in China and the Agricultural Research Service in the US have discovered a gene - called Fhb7 - that can be used to develop wheat varieties that are more resistant to Fusarium wilt, a major threat to wheat crops around the world.
The discovery and cloning of the Fhb7 gene is a major breakthrough in controlling the disease and continuing to guarantee the global supply of wheat. Caused by the pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum, which settles on seeds, Fusarium wilt is responsible for significant losses in wheat harvests, especially in Europe, the United States, China, Canada and many other countries. As well as wheat, it also attacks cereals such as barley and oats.
When the pathogen grows unchecked in infected grains, it releases mycotoxins that can induce vomiting in humans, as well as weight loss in animals that refuse to eat the grains. What's more, the prevalence and severity of Fusariosis outbreaks could also potentially be exacerbated by climate change and the growing trend to increase corn production and no-till farming, because this, the scientists warn, could lead to a greater prevalence of the pathogen in agricultural fields.
To reduce the damage caused by Fusarium, growers generally use fungicides. But if the authors of this study are right when they say that “the Fhb7 gene effectively reduces the attack of the fungus by detoxifying the mycotoxins secreted by the pathogen”, better days will come for world production not only of wheat but also of barley and oats.
According to the researchers, this study sheds new light on the molecular mechanisms that can make wheat, barley and oats resistant to the pathogen that causes Fusarium wilt. The study's authors hope that new wheat varieties with improved resistance to the disease, using Fhb7, will be available in a few years' time.
For more information, read the scientific article published on April 10 in the journal Science and USDA ARS.
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