Nutrition Ancient genes could protect modern wheat from a fungal disease
A new finding by researchers at the University of Zurich could protect wheat from the widespread fungal disease yellow rust in the future. They have discovered gene regions in an old Asian wheat variety that give the plants resistance to the fungus.
05.06.2025, 07:00
SDA
New strategies against the fungus are urgently needed, wrote the University of Zurich (UZH) in a press release on Thursday. Yellow rust affects 88 percent of global bread wheat production and is one of the most devastating threats to yields.
The newly discovered gene regions originate from traditional Asian wheat varieties cultivated in countries such as Nepal, Pakistan and China. The Zurich-led research team presented their new findings to the scientific community in a study published on Thursday in the journal "Theoretical and Applied Genetics".
The scientists suspect that the origin of the yellow rust pathogen lies in this region. This is one possible reason why wheat varieties grown there have developed stable defense mechanisms against the pathogen.
Genetic diversity important according to researchers
"If such genes can be transferred to commercial wheat varieties, they could make important contributions to the fight against yellow rust," UZH professor and study leader Kentaro Shimizu was quoted as saying in the press release.
According to the researchers, the results underline the importance of preserving genetic diversity and traditional wheat varieties in order to combat diseases and other threats.
For decades, wheat breeding has focused on the development of high-yielding varieties. While these modern breeds have helped to feed the world, their limited genetic diversity has also increased their susceptibility to pests, diseases and extreme weather conditions.
