UManitoba to receive $3.5M to support wheat breeding programs

The University of Manitoba has received a pledge of $3.5M from three wheat research groups to support its wheat breeding programs. UManitoba will use the funds to continue to evaluate breeding lines, provide information to the network of western Canadian breeding efforts, and develop Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistant wheat varieties. The funds will also be used for research on winter wheat that will support the delivery of field ready cultivars and improve winter wheat quality. “This foundational funding of UM’s wheat breeding program ensures the continued evaluation of FHB resistance of breeding lines from across the Prairies,” says Dr Curt McCartney, who will be assuming the role of wheat breeder at UManitoba. UManitoba (MB)