How Canadian researchers are trying to win a fight against a stubborn wheat disease

Researchers from southern Alberta are trying to get an upper hand in the fight against a stubborn disease that wipes 10 percent of the Canadian wheat crop annually and spends millions of dollars to farmers.

It is called a tan spot disease, a fungal infection that is named for small tan-colored lesions, it makes on the green leaves of wheat plants. Although it cannot threaten to wipe the entire regions such as others, its firmness makes it a regular headache for producers.

Dr. Reem Abukhadaur, the chairman of the research laboratory at Lathbridge, Alta, Agriculture and Agricultural and Food, is leading a global cooperation to get more information about the operation of the disease.

“(Tan Spot) is not necessarily the most harmful … but it is widespread, it is definitely. In a commercial field, I can always find a tan spot, no matter, no matter,” Abukhador said.

“So it’s up to you how you see it. Are we privileged to ignore five to 10 percent losses every year?”

Damage from the disease may increase in a hurry.

In 2022, wheat generated More than $ 50 billion In revenue in western Canada, grain is responsible for Canada, and thousands of jobs. Suskechewan is the largest manufacturer, followed by Alberta and Manitoba.

Like any farming plant, wheat is susceptible to blights. While tan spot disease can be unclear, it occurs in a loss of millions of dollars annually.

The Lab of Abokahador in Lathbridge has created new research successes in recent years, which can highlight more light on how the disease spreads and infects plants. These conclusions, Abukhdaur, says, it is expected that more disease resistant forms of wheat will help.

“The fundamental question has not changed for us, which to protect our food, basically. It comes down to me,” he said.

“To create effective genetic resistance, you have to build tolerance for the pathogen.”

Understand how tan spots work

A pathogen uses a pathogen or is known as the “viralies factors” of a disease in the scientific community to kidnap a plant’s defense system.

Abukhdore says that there is no comprehensive understanding of the virus factors of the tan spot, but there are some things that are known for something.

The tan spot spreads through spores, and can overwinter over the stump of crops – wheat, but also barley. This means that it is a more threat to producers who practice monochroping, or repeatedly cultivate a crop in the same area.

Abukhdore also knows that Tan Spot thrives in a temperate wet season, especially in early spring, and in areas that use irrigation systems.

Another thing researchers are well aware that the tan spot is flexible, and it is present everywhere in the world where wheat is cultivated.

The team of Abukhdore found evidence for this when they were able to index the genome of the disease based on a huge collection of tan-spot samples from around the world of agriculture and agriculture.

“(We were able to do) show that this fungus has the ability to be a very dynamic or flexible genome,” he said

“(This) has been developed and optimized through time to share the same weapon to kill the plant.”

Another thing affecting the farmer’s lower line

Tan spot disease was identified about 50 years ago, scientifically, it means that it is relatively new in its emergence.

Abukhdore says that the loss was particularly bad in the 1970s due to tan-spot disease. Before the farmers in Canada started using fungicide regularly.

Dr. Kelly Turkington is a plant pathologist in AAFC’s research lab, Elta, Alta, who has collaborated with the team of Abukhadaur on various projects.

He says that the tan spot is part of a group of diseases called “Leaf Spot Complex”, which are the main produce robbers for wheat farmers.

Tan spot producers can be challenging to manage, not only because it can survive in winter, but also because wheat stress does not have much information about being less susceptible, says Turkington.

It is known for infecting all major strains of wheat grown in Canada, including duram wheat.

Turkington says that the crop rotation is an effective way to combat the tan spot, many factors play when a manufacturer is deciding what the crop is, the disease management is just one.

Other aspects, such as commodity prices and knowledge of alternative crops, are also ideas.

Another equipment is to farmers in their equipment fungus in their equipment. But, depending on the size of the farm, Turkington says that it can spend up to thousands of dollars to producers.

Stephen Wanderwalk, a farmer of the Wheat Grover Association and Vice President of Alberta, told CBC News that the impact of tan spot disease on farmers in the province is fluctuated from year to year.

“Because it is so variable, you will have it spoiled a year – and it could happen three years ago, before you can see it again,” Wanderwalk said. “When you spoil it, it can be completely destructive.”

He said that farmers often use fungicide as a size-fit-all approach, when tan of diseases such as tan spots. But a better way to prevent this is that it is hopeful that it will develop.

“The best way to do this is to put it into genetics, so it is resistant to a tan spot when it is a seed.”

Although Abukhdor feels that the use of fungi is important, she says that it can be given to farmers that tan spots are actually less harmful. He is also concerned about the disease resistant to some fungi.

Turkington says that the tan spot is not on its radar because he may beat the fungus, but he wants research and agricultural communities to be vigilant.

“It is very important in the context of getting ready to address particular issues, which begin to arise in the first stage, allow vs. things to reach a point where effectively manage (them) is more difficult.”