Description
The Yr15 gene has provided wheat breeders with an important source of resistance to stripe rust, but new races of the disease that have overcome the gene in Europe are raising concerns about its long-term effectiveness in Canada.
That has prompted Canadian researchers and breeders to take steps now to monitor and protect the gene before its resistance is compromised. In this episode of Wheat School, RealAgriculture's Bernard Tobin talks with Ellen Sparry, general manager of C&M Seeds, about how the company and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are working together to better understand emerging stripe rust races and help preserve Yr15 resistance in Canadian wheat.
The work involves identifying whether new stripe rust races capable of overcoming Yr15 are present and ensuring breeders understand how those races interact with Canadian germplasm.
"It's about protecting that gene," says Sparry. "If we can understand what we're dealing with and combine different sources of resistance, we have a much better chance of extending the useful life of Yr15 for Canadian growers."
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