Scientists have discovered a superwheat

Scientists of John Innes Centre (UK) found out that wild wheat (Aegilops sharonensis) growing in Israel is highly resistant to almost all types of bacterial and fungal diseases that affect cultivated varieties. The reason is a unique gene.

“We discovered a special gene in the DNA of Aegilops sharonensis that protects the plant from diseases. There is no such wheat pathogen that can overcome such protection,” said John Innes Centre researcher Dr. Guotai Yu.

Wheat is currently the world’s most widespread grain crop. Its annual yield reaches 760 million tons, and the number of cultivars is enormous. However, many of them are affected by various diseases due to the loss of important genes during wheat cultivation.

“The study of wheat genetics opens up huge opportunities for breeding varieties that do not require the use of pesticides in their cultivation,” commented the information and analytical service of Fertilizer Daily.

Source: TASS