Adapting wheat to arid environments: mining Canadian germplasm for reduced nighttime water loss and improved water productivity
Term: 3 years, beginning in 2020
Status: Ongoing
Funding Amount: $50,819
Lead Researcher(s): Dr. Raju Soolanayakanahally (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon)
Funding Partners: Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture -Agriculture Development Fund (ADF), Western Grains Research Foundation, Alberta Wheat Commission, Manitoba Crop Alliance
Project Description
Globally, between 1964 and 2007, seasonal drought episodes and heat waves resulted in ~3.0 billion metric tons of crop yield losses (Lesk et al., 2016). Wheat yield models indicate that a 1°C rise in atmospheric temperature reduces wheat yields by 10%. Wheat belts in North America could experience warmer summers by 2050. In 2017, Canadian spring wheat yields declined by 9.2% from 52.0 bushels per acre in 2016 to 47.2 bushels per acre (StatsCan 2017). This decline in spring wheat yields was due to the very dry conditions in the Prairies, where precipitation during the growing season was significantly lower than the average.
Henceforward, breeding stress-resilient crops is an international issue of strategic importance (Langridge 2012). Through this proposal, in collaboration with AAFC’s Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) breeders, the researchers propose to assess the adaptability of wheat germplasm for arid environments for the long-term sustainability of agriculture. CWRS is a widely grown wheat class in Western Canada, accounting for 60% of annual production. It has high protein content that is highly regarded for its superior milling and baking quality.