Valentyna Klymiuk, a researcher in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan, is working to improve resilience in wheat cultivars through bringing in diversity from wild relatives.

Better crop resilience through genetic diversity

Wheat – a vital food crop that feeds billions of people worldwide – plays an important role in food security. Estimates place global wheat production at nearly 800 million tonnes this year, volumes that can be achieved, in large part, due to targeted breeding of high-yielding cultivars.

By Globe and Mail

Common wheat, which accounts for 95 per cent of this production, has evolved from wild grasses through domestication. This progression, however, has come at a price, namely a loss of genetic diversity, says Valentyna Klymiuk, a researcher in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

“Wheat species are diverse in so many aspects, representing adaptation to a wide variety of natural conditions. This genetic diversity has implications for food security as it can create climate resilience,” says Dr. Klymiuk, whose work focuses on crossbreeding wild and domesticated wheat to accelerate variety development for Saskatchewan producers.

Read full story in the Globe and Mail.