13 Thank You for Your Trust & Time, Since 1999 Better Farming | December 2024 gram. Many generations later, the wheat becomes genetically stable enough for larger-scale testing. A specialized small plot combine has proved critical for that stage. The combine harvests experimental plots of wheat and accurately measures traits, like yield and grain quality, at the field level. With an investment from the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP), a five-year, federal-provincial-territorial initiative, the combine can be found on the field now and is shared among many other breeding programs at the site. As for FHB, Booker’s program runs one of the three fusarium screening nurseries in Ontario, where wheat lines are given the fungal pathogen that causes FHB and maintained under mist irrigation to promote disease development. Researchers then identify genetic resistance in the wheat breeding lines by estimating the incidence and severity of the disease. Throughout testing, Booker’s lab works with collaborators across the region who bring their specialties to gather more data. U of G’s Dr. Shu Chen, senior research scientist and manager at the Agriculture and Food Laboratory, studies the metagenomics of FHB to better understand the pathogen, while trials at research centres across the province ensure that the wheat can adapt to Ontario’s diverse environments. Specialized labs conduct detailed analyses on the wheat kernels themselves to measure specific end-use traits. If minimum requirements are met – that is, the wheat has specific agronomic, end-use kernel quality and disease resistance traits – and if the variety is proven stable, uniform and distinct from others, it can be registered as a new cultivar and distributed to the market, where it eventually finds its way down the chain and into our homes. ‘Working together is the only way’ Initiated in 2014, the wheat breeding program was formed as a partnership between U of G, Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) and SeCan. These organizations represent a large network of grain farmers and seed-growing companies in Canada, with Booker herself filling the GFO professorship in wheat breeding and genetics. The research locations – the Ontario Crops Research Centre sites in Elora and Ridgetown – are owned by Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario (ARIO) and managed by U of G through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance. “Breeding in crops is all about adaptation, and so multiple sites are needed,” Booker says. “People want to work with us because we have access to sites through the Alliance. Working together is the only way to do it.” Booker took over the program in 2020 following the passing of the previous leader, a beloved student 22_0470_Poly_GrowGrp_HalfHoriz_US_MXsp Mod: September 9, 2024 9:14 AM Print: 09/09/24 page 1 v2.5 πSHIPPING SUPPLY SPECIALISTS GROWING SELECTION ALL POLY BAGS ALWAYS IN STOCK COMPLETE CATALOG 1-800-295-5510 uline.ca ORDER BY 6 PM FOR SAME DAY SHIPPING Research & Farm Science
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