The Alberta Wheat Commission, Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, and Western Grains Research Foundation are providing $3.6 million in funding over four years for a research project on wheat genomics.
The goal of the Canadian Triticum Applied Genomics project, which will cost $8.8 million in total, is to develop a “breeder-friendly” genotyping platform to allow whole genome selection for agronomically important traits. This will be a tool for breeding cultivars that are more productive, resistant to disease and pests, and resilient to heat and drought stresses.
The project will be led by Curtis Pozniak of the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre and Andrew Sharpe of the National Research Council Canada. The other funding is coming from government, private companies, and the academic sector.
