b'Seed World Canada Editor Marc Zienkiewicz recently interviewed our 2024 CPBI Scholars.Understanding this population is vital for our work.standing the virulence of the pathogen, and exploring host-Beyond just having the dataset, weve managed to gatherpathogen interactions.important information by phenotyping the pathogen. WeWhile some genetic studies have identified quantitative characterized them based on the mycelia compatibility grouptrait loci associated with resistance from the wheat side, a fully they belong to and determined the level of pathogenicity in theresistant wheat cultivar remains elusive due to the complex collected samples. nature of resistance involving multiple genes, she says.This information holds significance, especially when select- Phenotyping, particularly the detection of fusarium dam-ing the most aggressive isolates for screening in plant breedingaged kernels, is a time-consuming and sometimes unreliable programs. In her teams case, theyre focusing on commonprocess. Furthermore, the diseases progression is heavily influ-beans, which currently exhibit only moderate resistance againstenced by environmental factors.this pathogen. Her projects goal is to enhance the phenotyping of fusar-By incorporating this valuable phenotypic data on whiteium damaged kernels. By achieving a more accurate phenotype, mold, were making progress in enhancing resistance. Moreover,researchers can conduct more precise genetic studies. This, in our lab has successfully sequenced the entire genome of all theturn, contributes to improving food safety by better under-samples. With a clear understanding of the mode of reproduc- standing the genetic factors influencing Fusarium head blight tion and separation into groups, we are delving into the genom- resistance.ics aspect to identify differences in the pathogens genome. The ultimate aim is to make strides in developing strate-gies that enhance crop resilience and mitigate the impact of this Foiling Fusarium detrimental disease on both agricultural productivity and food Andrade is focusing on a significant issue prevalent in Westernsafety, she adds. CanadaFusarium head blight. This disease poses a major threat to crop yield and grain quality, leading to the develop-ment of fusarium damaged kernels. Additionally, the pathogen produces mycotoxins, hazardous for both human and animal consumption.To tackle this problem, shes delving into the genome ofWatch this full Seed Speaks episode on our website!wheat, specifically examining genes related to resistance, under- Visit seedworld.com/2024-scholars MARCH 2024 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA 23'