Western Australia
July 31, 2008
Source: Grains
Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
 Dr
Mehmet Cakir, Senior Research Fellow at
Murdoch University,
Western Australia, will conduct and co-ordinate research
evaluating Russian wheat aphid resistance in wheat and barley,
thanks to a five year GRDC grant.
Russian wheat aphid can destroy up to 70 per cent of a wheat
crop and more than that in barley.
A significant pest in the USA, South Africa and parts of South
America, Europe and Asia, it is present in all major wheat and
barley growing areas of the world except Australia.
"The project will evaluate resistance, develop resistant wheat
and barley varieties to biotypes of Russian wheat aphid and
finally identify molecular markers for resistance so that
continuous breeding for Russian wheat aphid is possible in
Australia," Dr Cakir said.
"Ultimately, we want to develop a resource of Australian wheat
and barley germplasm with Russian wheat aphid resistance for use
by Australian cereal breeders."
Other news
from
Murdoch University |
|
