The Canadian Wheat Board (CWB), in cooperation with the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), today announced a joint funding venture that will see $788,750 directed to fusarium head blight research and related varietal development at the AAFC Brandon Research Centre in 2004.

The CWB will contribute a total of $165,000 to the project, funded through the organization's special account (money from un-cashed producer cheques); the WGRF will contribute $373,750 through farmer check-offs and other funds; AAFC will contribute $250,000 through its Matching Investment Initiative.

CWB funding will be directed toward increased deoxynivalenol (DON) testing at a commercial laboratory and to the on-site fusarium nursery located at the Brandon Research Centre, where the fungus is cultivated and studied in crop plots, as well as to the fusarium nursery at AAFC's facility in Ottawa.

"Fusarium is every barley farmer's problem and this research is key to discovering methods to reduce its negative effects," said Ken Ritter, chair of the CWB's farmer-controlled board of directors.

"In addition to industry and government, farmers themselves are supporting this research through the WGRF check-off fund, interest on the check-off reserve special fund, and the endowment fund and have leveraged additional funding from the federal government," he added. "This is an excellent example of western Canadian farmers contributing to their own success and protecting the future value of their own crops." "This research effort is truly national in scope, " said Dr. Bruce Coulman, Acting AAFC Science Director for Cultivar Development and Genetic Enhancement. "The project team involves collaborating scientists from AAFC working at research centres spanning the country, as well as scientists from the University of Saskatchewan and Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development."

Controlled by western Canadian farmers, the CWB is the largest wheat and barley marketer in the world. As one of Canada's biggest exporters, the Winnipeg-based organization sells grain to more than 70 countries and returns all sales revenue, less the costs of marketing, to Prairie farmers.

See attached backgrounder for the list of collaborators providing research services for this project and for more information on the effects of fusarium on barley.

BACKGROUNDER

Collaborative Research and Development of Barley Germplasm with Improved Resistance to Fusarium Head Blight

Since 1995, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)'s commitment to Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) barley research and related varietal development has been augmented by a total of $4,934,880, which has been funded at the Brandon Research Centre through the AAFC Matching Investment Initiative (MII), Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF), the Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative (ARDI), the Agriculture Development Fund (ADF), and now the Canadian Wheat Board.

The ARDI is a joint funding program that the Government of Canada and Government of Manitoba sponsor to provide grants for research and development in Manitoba's agriculture and agri-food sector. The ADF provides funding for agriculture and agri-food research and development in Saskatchewan and is administered by Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization.

Both the ARDI and ADF commitments were three-year funding initiatives (2000 to 2002) and have now concluded, while the WGRF has renewed its financial support of this research until the beginning of 2006 by an amount to be partially matched by MII dollars.

In 2004, the WGRF will contribute a total of $373,750; AAFC MII will contribute $250,000 and the CWB will be adding its contribution of $165,000.

The CWB will direct $75,000 of the total for increased deoxynivalenol (DON) testing at a commercial lab, $46,000 to ensure the Brandon FHB nursery operates at full capacity and $44,000 to gain access to the FHB nursery at the Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre in Ottawa.

AAFC MII and the WGRF contributions will fund research activities over three years (2003 to 2005) in support of the overall project goal.

Project Goal
The goal of this research project is to develop barley germplasm with improved FHB resistance for all regions in Canada. None of the current barley varieties are immune to FHB. Breeding FHB-resistant varieties will be one of the critical factors in managing this disease in the absence of effective alternative control strategies.

Specific objectives of the project are to:

·                     evaluate all current barley varieties, entries in registration trials, and advanced breeding lines;

·                     exchange elite germplasm that has promising FHB resistance with other breeding programs from North Dakota State University, the University of Minnesota, Busch Agriculture Resources Inc., and ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas) / CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center);

·                     evaluate new "reputed" FHB-resistant parents from all possible sources;

·                     evaluate lines from crosses segregating for known sources of resistance, such as CI4196, or from crosses between two moderately resistant lines with different backgrounds;

·                     develop and evaluate special "doubled haploid" populations for determining the inheritance of resistance, or other projects relating to the overall goal.

Project Team
This research effort is truly national in scope, involving collaborating scientists from AAFC (Brandon, Ottawa, Charlottetown, Lacombe and Winnipeg) and others from the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development's Field Crop Development Centre at Lacombe.

As Project Leader, Dr. Bill Legge of AAFC Brandon Research Centre in Manitoba will be working with a team of researchers countrywide who have considerable experience and expertise in plant breeding, genetics, pathology, and biochemistry, including:

AAFC
Dr. Mario Therrien, Brandon Research Centre, Brandon MB
Dr. Mitali Banik, Brandon Research Centre, Brandon MB
Mr. James Tucker, Brandon Research Centre, Brandon MB
Dr. Andy Tekauz, Cereal Research Centre, Winnipeg MB
Dr. Marc Savard, Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre, Ottawa ON
Dr. Alek Choo, Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre, Ottawa ON
Dr. Keh Ming Ho, Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre, Ottawa ON
Dr. Bernard Vigier, Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre, Ottawa ON
Dr. Richard Martin, Crops and Livestock Research Centre, Charlottetown PE
Dr. Kelly Turkington, Lacombe Research Centre, Lacombe AB

Crop Development Centre
Dr. Brian Rossnagel
Dr. Bryan Harvey
Dr. Eric Lefol
Mr. Doug Voth
Mr. Tom Zatorski

Field Crop Development Centre
Dr. Jim Helm
Dr. Patricia Juskiw
Dr. Joseph Nyachiro
Dr. Kequan Xi
Dr. Jennifer Zantinge

Effects of FHB on Barley
FHB has emerged as the most serious disease of barley across Canada over the past decade, causing millions of dollars in losses annually. It first occurred in eastern Canada, and more recently in Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan. There is concern that FHB may eventually spread beyond this area into western Saskatchewan and Alberta.

FHB is caused by Fusarium graminearum, a fungus. Infection of barley grain with FHB not only affects yield and quality, but it is also associated with accumulation of toxic compounds called mycotoxins. Deoxynivalenol (DON), the most prevalent mycotoxin, makes barley unacceptable for the malting and brewing industry at 0.5 ppm concentration, human consumption at 2 ppm, and animal feed with rejection levels depending on the species. Hogs are particularly sensitive to DON (levels must be less than 1 ppm), and hog producers in FHB-affected areas have had to import feed grain at considerable expense.

Most barley varieties currently grown in Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan, especially the six-row white aleurone malting barley varieties, are highly susceptible to FHB. Some two-row malting barley varieties and hulless types appear more resistant but still accumulate DON at levels high enough to be rejected under moderate to heavy epidemics.