Get ready for a game-changer in wheat breeding! We're talking about a project that's not just a local success story but a global game-changer. From Toluca, Mexico, to the world, this initiative is revolutionizing how we breed wheat and tackle diseases that threaten our food security.
In a nutshell, the project focused on developing new elite wheat lines with enhanced disease resistance. But here's where it gets controversial: these lines are like ready-made ingredients, allowing breeders to quickly introduce specific traits without waiting years for field results. It's a data-driven approach known as genomic selection, and it's shaking up traditional breeding methods.
The project targeted two major fungal diseases, septoria tritici blotch and spot blotch, which are becoming more prevalent due to climate change. Developing resistance to these diseases is no easy feat, as it requires the combined effect of multiple genes, resulting in a complex, quantitative resistance. Traditionally, breeders had to wait several years to evaluate plant performance, but this project introduced a faster, more efficient method.
By using DNA data to predict performance, breeders can make earlier decisions and produce multiple generations within the same timeframe. This accelerates the breeding process, ultimately delivering resistant wheat varieties to farmers faster and having a greater impact on food security over time. The results speak for themselves: a transformative step-change in resistance for the targeted diseases.
The CIMMYT experimental station in Toluca, Mexico, played a crucial role, providing ideal conditions for selecting genotypes resistant to foliar diseases. And the impact doesn't stop there. This project served as proof of concept, with results that can be applied to other wheat breeding programs worldwide.
The benefits are clear: parents can be recycled in just 3 years instead of 5-7, favourable genes accumulate faster, and breeding cycles are shortened, leading to improved varieties reaching farmers sooner. Susanne Dreisigacker, the project lead and wheat molecular geneticist at CIMMYT, explains the significance: "This new concept is gaining traction, and I believe a mindset change is happening. For me, that's the most important outcome."
Dreisigacker's team is already building on this success with a new project targeting specific diseases in key regions. The feedback from colleagues has been encouraging, with a shift in thinking and increased awareness of the possibilities. CGIAR is now leading the global development of this technique, with international interest from universities and advanced research institutes. Training events are showcasing the technique, increasing knowledge within the CGIAR-partner breeding network.
Looking ahead, future funding will be crucial to continue modernizing national partners' capacity for high-quality breeding, investing in under-resourced national breeding programs, expanding the application of this approach to additional crops, and addressing complex climate challenges.
The Crops to End Hunger program, which began in 2018, is currently in its Phase III, funded by GIZ. The program has invested in upgrading facilities, building staff capacity, and developing foundational tools to accelerate crop breeding. Modernizing breeding and increasing breeding efficiencies will enable the development and availability of new, improved varieties to smallholders sooner.
This project is a testament to the power of innovation and collaboration in agriculture. It's an inspiring story of how a local initiative can have a global impact, and it leaves us with an important question: How can we further support and scale such initiatives to ensure food security in the face of climate change and other challenges?
