Dr. Yong-Bi Fu of the Saskatoon Research and Development Centre examines wild emmer. (submitted photo/Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

By Alice McFarlane

Wild Wheat

Wild wheat aids research on climate change

Jan 22, 2020 | 11:16 AM

Wheat is one of Canada’s most important crops. This has producers and industries looking for ways to minimize climate change, as hotter temperatures and more severe droughts are expected to strain crop production.

To understand how plant populations respond to climate stress, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers are looking at modern wheat’s ancestor, wild emmer, to see how it has genetically adapted to deal with the stress of changing climates.

The project, led by researcher Dr. Yong-Bi Fu, looked at 10 populations of wild emmer wheat in Israel. The team analyzed samples collected in 1980 and 2008. In that 28-year span, the average annual temperature in Israel increased while the average annual precipitation decreased.

Fu said analysis showed the presence of genes responsible for climate adaptability. If identified, these climate-resistant genes could eventually be bred into modern wheat crops using traditional or cloning techniques.

“While the threat of global warming can seem overwhelming, these challenges can, in part, be addressed by learning from nature,” Fu said in a news release. “This study is exciting because it shows an example of plants knowing how to survive global warming.”

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Dr. Fu said much can be learned from this research in terms of predicting plants’ adaptability and vulnerability in a hotter, drier climate. Predictive models can provide guidance when it comes to crop production vulnerability in a changing climate.

The research findings underline the need to protect and conserve the diversity of plant genetic resources found throughout the world before they are lost.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF