InnoWheatRes

Wheat is one of the most important staple crops worldwide. Its production is significantly affected by foliar pathogens such as rusts, powdery mildew, and Septoria tritici blotch (STB), as well as by grain contamination with mycotoxins, as occurs in the case of Fusarium head blight (FHB). The development of cultivars with broad-spectrum and/or polygenic resistance (via gene pyramiding) represents the most effective, cost-efficient, and environmentally sustainable strategy for long-term disease control.

The InnoResWheat project aims to exploit resistance sources previously identified by the partners, with the goal of developing molecular tools to deploy durable resistance. The research units will collaborate to elucidate the functional basis of resistance mechanisms. InnoResWheat builds on extensive collaborative research conducted by the international durum wheat breeding and research community.

Expected Results

InnoResWheat aims to identify valuable sources of broad-spectrum and/or polygenic resistance (gene pyramiding), already characterized by the partners, and to provide molecular tools for the implementation of durable resistance.

Results Obtained

Integrated multi-omics analyses (genomic, transcriptomic, and regulatory) enabled, for the first time, the systematic identification of the main determinants of resistance in durum wheat (QTLs, candidate genes, and biomarkers), providing a solid foundation for faster and more efficient breeding programs against Fusarium head blight, Septoria tritici blotch, and rust diseases.

The use of advanced genomic technologies (GWAS, BSA-NGS, RNA-seq, and high-density mapping) has significantly expanded the catalog of resistance loci and alleles. Novel loci for FHB resistance have been identified, and key genes such as WheatPme-1 and WAKs, involved in plant defense responses, have been more precisely localized. Additional loci for Septoria and rust resistance have been identified in populations derived from landraces with high genetic diversity.

In particular, the following have been identified:

· New loci conferring resistance to Fusarium head blight from a segregating durum wheat population;

· More precise localization of causal genes underlying FHB resistance:
1. WheatPme-1 (2AS), which catalyzes pectin demethylation, thereby influencing cell wall (CW) accessibility to fungal degrading enzymes (DEs);
2. WAKs (2AS), encoding enzymes that enable plant cells to perceive and respond to biotic stress signals from the external environment.

Using five mapping populations derived from North African and Sicilian, Ethiopian, and Transcaucasian durum wheat landraces, the following were identified:

· Several loci conferring partial resistance to Septoria leaf blotch;

· Three major loci associated with resistance to leaf rust.

These findings accelerate the identification and validation of candidate genes for breeding purposes, with tangible impacts including reduced fungicide use, lower production costs, increased yield stability, and environmental benefits.

From a food safety perspective, improving resistance to Fusarium head blight will contribute to reducing mycotoxin (DON) contamination, thereby enhancing grain quality and market value.

Overall, InnoResWheat represents a strategic advancement toward a more resilient, sustainable, and competitive cereal production system, with significant economic, environmental, and societal benefits.