Wheat Groups: Make Scab a National Priority

Issue 7
April/May 1997
Wheat Groups: Make
Scab a National Priority

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Prairie Grains is the
official publication of
the Minnesota
Association of
Wheat Growers,
North Dakota Grain
Growers Association,
South Dakota Wheat,
Inc., and the
Minnesota Barley
Growers Association.

The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, North Dakota Grain Growers Association, and South Dakota Wheat, Inc. have been working to make scab a national research priority.
A summary of scab's effects in over 20 states was distributed in visits to members of Congress, federal agriculture and research officials, and other wheat industry members by the three Northern Plains wheat groups last month.
The summary identified key scab and vomitoxin research areas that depend on federal support, including:

Winter nurseries with accelerated breeding for resistance.
Regional soft red winter wheat nurseries for chemical control strategies.
Gene mapping and searching for alternative sources of resistance in wheat and related species.
Development and maintenance of an Internet information network for extension and research, including the posting of data on cooperative projects plus international networking, and improved forums to exchange ideas and data.
Finding molecular markers, and determining regional sources of inoculum and how far they travel.
The development of a scab prediction model.
Quantifying environmental parameters for scab sporulation and infection.
Determining the relative importance of asexual and sexual spore types of Fusarium species in each region.
Assessing the effect of wheat growth stage, including post-physiological maturity, on scab severity and vomitoxin production.
Finding diverse sources of resistance and determine inheritance of the scab resistance.
Increasing support for greenhouse and screening capacities.
Enhancing off-season nursery seed increases and generation advance capabilities.
Regional scab testing for information and germplasm exchange.

The wheat groups are hoping to obtain federal funding for scab research in the FY98 budget, which takes effect Oct. 1, 1997. Three requests have been made:

Congress should fund a national scab initiative for the Soft Red Winter, Hard Red Spring and Durum wheat growing regions at a level of $5 million annually - The funds should be allocated under the advisement of an industry-wide working group that includes millers, end users, researchers, extension personnel and growers from the wheat growing regions. The working group would set research priorities and review and fund research proposals. A new North Central Scab Consortium formed by ag researchers could provide the base for the proposed industry working group.
Congress should fund the Emerging Diseases Initiative in the President's budget - This initiative provides needed funds for disease research at ARS Laboratories located at the Kansas State University and the University of Minnesota. The ARS Plant Science Unit at KSU is responsible for developing multiple pest resistance in wheat. It has been responsible for developing and releasing important germplasm resistant to different pests, including diseases, and used by wheat breeders throughout the US to breed better wheat varieties. The ARS Cereal Rust Lab at the U of M has provided leadership in rust epidemiology, gene deployment and rust protection for the spring wheat region and rust disease researchers from around the world. This function continues to be important, because some of the new germplasm that is being used to develop scab resistance lacks the resistance to rust that once was so prevalent in the wheat-producing region of the U.S.
Provide full funding for the ARS Wheat Geneticist at the ARS facility at the University of Minnesota - This position is important to the region's effort to coordinate regional nurseries and the exchange of wheat germplasm. Because this federal position is located on the campus of the U of M, this position is able to collaborate with many important resources such as the Cereal Rust Lab and the interdisciplinary departments at the U of M. Without full funding, this vital position could be eliminated and an important link between state, regional and national wheat genetic activities would be lost.

Copyright Prairie
Grains Magazine
April 1997

Issue 7 April/May 1997	Wheat Groups: Make Scab a National Priority

Library Home E-Mail Back Prairie Grains is the official publication of the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, North Dakota Grain Growers Association, South Dakota Wheat, Inc., and the Minnesota Barley Growers Association.	The Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, North Dakota Grain Growers Association, and South Dakota Wheat, Inc. have been working to make scab a national research priority. A summary of scab's effects in over 20 states was distributed in visits to members of Congress, federal agriculture and research officials, and other wheat industry members by the three Northern Plains wheat groups last month. The summary identified key scab and vomitoxin research areas that depend on federal support, including: Winter nurseries with accelerated breeding for resistance. Regional soft red winter wheat nurseries for chemical control strategies. Gene mapping and searching for alternative sources of resistance in wheat and related species. Development and maintenance of an Internet information network for extension and research, including the posting of data on cooperative projects plus international networking, and improved forums to exchange ideas and data. Finding molecular markers, and determining regional sources of inoculum and how far they travel. The development of a scab prediction model. Quantifying environmental parameters for scab sporulation and infection. Determining the relative importance of asexual and sexual spore types of Fusarium species in each region. Assessing the effect of wheat growth stage, including post-physiological maturity, on scab severity and vomitoxin production. Finding diverse sources of resistance and determine inheritance of the scab resistance. Increasing support for greenhouse and screening capacities. Enhancing off-season nursery seed increases and generation advance capabilities. Regional scab testing for information and germplasm exchange. The wheat groups are hoping to obtain federal funding for scab research in the FY98 budget, which takes effect Oct. 1, 1997. Three requests have been made: Congress should fund a national scab initiative for the Soft Red Winter, Hard Red Spring and Durum wheat growing regions at a level of $5 million annually - The funds should be allocated under the advisement of an industry-wide working group that includes millers, end users, researchers, extension personnel and growers from the wheat growing regions. The working group would set research priorities and review and fund research proposals. A new North Central Scab Consortium formed by ag researchers could provide the base for the proposed industry working group. Congress should fund the Emerging Diseases Initiative in the President's budget - This initiative provides needed funds for disease research at ARS Laboratories located at the Kansas State University and the University of Minnesota. The ARS Plant Science Unit at KSU is responsible for developing multiple pest resistance in wheat. It has been responsible for developing and releasing important germplasm resistant to different pests, including diseases, and used by wheat breeders throughout the US to breed better wheat varieties. The ARS Cereal Rust Lab at the U of M has provided leadership in rust epidemiology, gene deployment and rust protection for the spring wheat region and rust disease researchers from around the world. This function continues to be important, because some of the new germplasm that is being used to develop scab resistance lacks the resistance to rust that once was so prevalent in the wheat-producing region of the U.S. Provide full funding for the ARS Wheat Geneticist at the ARS facility at the University of Minnesota - This position is important to the region's effort to coordinate regional nurseries and the exchange of wheat germplasm. Because this federal position is located on the campus of the U of M, this position is able to collaborate with many important resources such as the Cereal Rust Lab and the interdisciplinary departments at the U of M. Without full funding, this vital position could be eliminated and an important link between state, regional and national wheat genetic activities would be lost.
Copyright Prairie Grains Magazine April 1997

Wheat Groups: Make Scab a National Priority

Copyright Prairie Grains Magazine April 1997

Wheat Groups: Make
Scab a National Priority

Copyright Prairie
Grains Magazine
April 1997